What is Basic Management Skills?

Basic Management skills represent a knowledge and ability of the individual on a

managerial position to fulfill some specific managerial activities or tasks. This
knowledge and ability can be learned and practiced. However, they also can be
acquired through practical implementation of required activities and tasks.
Therefore, each skill can be developed through learning and practical experience
from the individuals.
There are many definitions about skills that talk about talent. Talent is something
personal related with an individual and represents a native gift from the nature about
that something inside that talented persons. All persons cannot be artists. Usually,
artists are born with the gift of art, but despite their talent they continue to develop
their talent to improve their art skills.
When we talk about managerial skills, we talk about skills of manager to maintain
high efficiency in the way how his or her employees complete their everyday
working tasks. Because of that, managers will need skills that will help them to
manage people and technology to ensure an effective and efficient realization of
their working tasks.
Advantages of Basic Management Skills

I t help helps to maintain efficiency in organization

It promote creativity and enhance productivity in organization
It helps managers to reach the goals of organization possibly
It enable the managers to visualize outside the goals of organization
It help to create conducive environment for employees to feel confident
working in a that particular organization

Disadvantage of Basic Management Skills

It cost time to implement Basic management skills as some matters are very
urgent and dont need time for decision making
It promotes bureaucratic which is a threat for organization achievements

1. Conceptual Skills
Conceptual skill is the ability to visualize (see) the organization as a whole. It
includes Analytical, Creative and Initiative skills. It helps the manager to identify the
causes of the problems and not the symptoms. It helps him to solve the problems for
the benefit of the entire organization. It helps the manager to fix goals for the whole
organization and to plan for every situation. According to Prof. Robert Katz,
conceptual skills are mostly required by the top-level management because they
spend more time in planning, organizing and problem solving.
Conceptual skills present knowledge or ability of a manager for more abstract
thinking. That means he can easily see the whole through analysis and diagnosis of
different states in order to predict the future of the business or department as a
whole.
Why managers need these skills?
Conceptual skills are important in empowering managers in all levels of an
organization to observe the operations of an organization and frame them
conceptually as an aspect of that organization's strategy, objectives, or policies.

Conceptual skills are probably some of the most important management skills. There
are some very basic principles behind conceptual skills. The inputs by people who
are hired especially for their exceptional conceptual skills often influence the
decision-making process in an organization, be it about something like a change in
the employees dress code to something as big as a revamped advertising campaign
for a product. Some functions of these skills are mentioned below. They might help
you understand it better.
Establish Inter-relation
A person who has conceptual skills has the ability to carry out a detailed study of the
possible and probable inter-relation between various ideas and 'concepts'. It is a
cognitive skill that requires the person to have a deep understanding of what has to
be studied, what can be ignored and how to ascertain how much importance should
be given to which concept. It also relates to how to use the inter-relation between the
various aspects of the matter and come up with a concept or an idea to make it better.
It is an integral part of how business management actually goes about.

Problem Solving
A conceptual person can combine problem solving with the practice of
conceptualizing a practical issue. For instance, if there is group of people who are
opposing the construction of a bridge near their houses, the person will go deeper
into the problem, find out why it is so, how to convince them without offering them
just money, get them to understand how the bridge will in no way harm the peace
and harmony of their homes, and finally get them to agree to the construction.

 Study as a Whole
A conceptual person will not look at the organization as a part of the industry. Using
this skill, he will look at it as a whole. The main focus will be on how to study,
analyze, and develop new strategies that will enable the smooth and better
functioning of the organization as a whole. He may compartmentalize each section
within the organization and come up with various concepts to help them
individually, but the overall progress of the whole organization is the ultimate goal.
Creative Thinking
Apart from problem solving, conceptual skills also play another very important part
as far as manager skills are concerned. This involves coming up with creative and
innovative ideas and concepts pertaining to the growth of the organization. For
instance, a company needs to boost the sales of its new product - a tangy tomato
ketchup, with a hint of mint in it. A person with conceptual skills is the one who will
treat the 'increase of sales' as a concept rather than a physical target. He will perform
the important functions of management. He will study and speculate, he will analyze
and comprehend. He will then come up with a concept which will use the distinct
'flavor' of the ketchup as its USP. As you can see from this, the person has come up
only with a concept of the flavor being different. The next step of forming a suitable
advertisement is the job of the ad department and the technically skilled managers
will handle the technical aspect of making the whole concept a reality.

You can come across conceptual skills examples in your day-to-day life too. They
are not restricted only to top level management in a big organization. They can be as
simple as a child wondering why clouds are formed and coming up with his own

version of the reason. Developing them is not difficult. You just need to hone the
analyzing abilities that you possess.

2. Human Relations Skills

Human relations skills are also called Interpersonal skills. It is an ability to work
with people. It helps the managers to understand, communicate and work with
others. It also helps the managers to lead, motivate and develop team spirit. Human
relations skills are required by all managers at all levels of management. This is so,
since all managers have to interact and work with people.
These skills will enable managers to become leaders, to motivate employees for
better accomplishments, to make more effective use of human potential in the
company and so on. Simply, they are the most important skills for managers.
Why managers need these skills?
Human relations in the workplace are a major part of what makes a business work.
Employees must frequently work together on projects, communicate ideas and
provide motivation to get things done. Without a stable and inviting workplace
culture, difficult challenges can arise both in the logistics of managing employees
and in the bottom line. Businesses with engaging workplaces and a well-trained
workforce are more likely to retain and attract qualified employees, foster loyalty
with customers and more quickly adapt to meet the needs of a changing marketplace.
Improving Retention
The quality of workplace relations is critical to employee retention. Employee
retention may seem trivial -- especially in a workplace that is used to a high turnover

-- but managers must remember that turnover is financially very costly. Every new
employee requires a substantial investment of time and energy in their recruitment
and training. In addition, severing ties with old employees can sometimes be
challenging, especially if the circumstances are not particularly amicable. Making
sure quality employees remain interested and engaged in the business requires
patience, compassion and flexibility, but can actually make the business more
financially sound.
Motivation and Productivity
Workplace relationships provide a source of employee motivation, which is
important to maintaining productivity. Employees who are interested in their work
and in the well-being of other employees tend to be more productive than those who
are not. This productivity pays obvious financial dividends to the company, as it can
get more done in less time with fewer costs. Building relationships, by both
recognizing an employee's value to the company and a concern for their needs, often
goes a long way.
Fostering Creativity
The modern business environment often rewards businesses that are able to quickly
develop products that meet changing consumer needs. In some industries -- such as
technology, for example -- employees' ability to come up with effective new ideas is
often the difference between the entire company's success and failure. According to
Sallyport Magazine, research shows that creativity is based to large degree in social
interaction. Employees' creativity is often dependent on their ability to communicate
with other employees and share ideas. Without quality workplace relationships,

employees are less likely to be able to develop and share the solutions that a business
needs to survive
.

3. Technical Skills
A technical skill is the ability to perform the given job. Technical skills help the
managers to use different machines and tools. It also helps them to use various
procedures and techniques. The low-level managers require more technical skills.
This is because they are incharge of the actual operations.
Why managers need these skills?
As the name of these skills tells us, they give the managers knowledge and ability to
use different techniques to achieve what they want to achieve. Technical skills are
not related only for machines, production tools or other equipment, but also they are
skills that will be required to increase sales, design different types of products and
services, and market the products and services
For example, lets take an individual who work in sales department and have high
developed sales skills obtained through education and experience in his department
or the same departments in different organizations. Because of these skills he
possess, this person can be a perfect solution to become sales manager because he
has great technical skills related to sales.
On the other hand, one person that become sales manager immediately will start to
build his next type of required skills, because if his task until now was only to work

with the customers as sales representative, now it will need to work with employees
in sales department as addition to the work with customers.
Technical skills are most important for the first-level managers, but for the top
managers, these skills are not something with high significance level. As we go
through a hierarchy from the bottom to higher levels, the technical skills lose their
importance

4. Decision Making Skills

Decision-making skills are required at all levels of management. However, it is
required more at the top-level of management. A manager must be able to take quick
and correct decisions. He must also be able to implement his decision wisely. The
success or failure of a manager depends upon the correctness of his decisions.
Making decisions is a difficult process that consists of identifying and selecting
alternatives, criteria and possible outcomes, to improve a situation. All decisions
have an uncertain nature and carry with them the potential for dissatisfaction,
conflict and creation of new problems.
Why do we need these skills?
Better Utilization of Resources
Decision making helps to utilise the available resources for achieving the objectives
of the organisation. The available resources are the 6 Ms, i.e. Men, Money,
Materials, Machines, Methods and Markets. The manager has to make correct
decisions for all the 6 Ms. This will result in better utilisation of these resources.
Facing Problems and Challenges

Decision making helps the organisation to face and tackle new problems and
challenges. Quick and correct decisions help to solve problems and to accept
new challenges.
Business Growth
Quick and correct decision making results in better utilisation of the resources. It
helps the organisation to face new problems and challenges. It also helps to achieve
its objectives. All this results in quick business growth. However, wrong, slow or no
decisions can result in losses and industrial sickness.
Achieving Objectives
Decision making skills help the organisation to achieve all its objectives quickly.
This is because Decision making skills are made after analysing and evaluating all
the alternatives.

Increases Efficiency
Decision making skills help to increase efficiency. Efficiency is the relation between
returns and cost. If the returns are high and the cost is low, then there is efficiency
and vice versa. Decision making skills result in higher returns at low cost.

Facilitate Innovation
Decision making skills facilitate innovation. This is because it helps to develop new
ideas, new products, new process, etc. This results in innovation. Innovation gives a
competitive advantage to the organisation.

 Motivates Employees
Decision making skills results in motivation for the employees. This is because the
employees are motivated to implement Decision making skills. When the Decision
making skills are implemented the organisation makes high profits. Therefore, it can
give financial and non-financial benefits to the employees
Conclusion
For effective execution of work or policies, Managers should focus to develop such
skills which make them effective. It's rightly said, Manager causes the rise or fall of
organization. In the era of Globalization, it's become difficult to handle lot of
expectation from, customers, employees and external factors. To handle these issues,
Manager should enhance his Managerial skills for organizational effectiveness. This
was all about some of the important managerial skills that every manger should try
to inculcate in their personality so that they can guide organizations towards success

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