Skills Require For Management

1) Define the basic managerial skills.

2) How important is each of these skill sets at the different levels of
the management pyramid?
3) What set of managerial skills is necessary for managerial success?

Managerial Skills
Managerial skills or management skills can be defined as the ability of the
manager to do his/her best work regarding the organization. It is the
manager’s ability to perform a particular task effectively. Whenever a
manager joins the organization he must have any managerial skills from the
conceptual, human, and technical skills.

Robert L. Katz has suggested three primary management/managerial skills

or competencies amongst the managers.

#1 Technical Skills

Technical skills are the ability and knowledge to use the equipment,
techniques, and procedures involved in performing a specific task. It
consists of specialized knowledge and the ability to perform within that
specialty.
The technical skills of management include:
1. Handling machines
2. Preparing daily work schedule
3. Supervising employees
4. Team formation and mobilizing performance appraisal
5. Preparing reports
6. Motivating employees, etc.

#2 Human Skills

Human skills refer to the ability to work with, understand and

motivate other people individually or in a group. It is concerned with
understanding people.

Managers with high-grade human skills are capable to produce the

best output from their juniors. Because they know how to motivate,
communicate, lead, and inspire subordinates.

#3 Conceptual Skills
These involve the skills managers present in terms of the knowledge
and ability for abstract thinking and formulating ideas. The manager
is able to see an entire concept, analyze and diagnose a problem, and
find creative solutions. This helps the manager to effectively predict
hurdles their department or the business as a whole may face. Good
conceptual skills are especially necessary for managers at the top of
the management pyramid, where strategic planning takes place.

What Are The Three Levels of Management?

Most organizations have three management levels:
 Low-level managers;
 Middle-level managers; and
 Top-level managers.
These managers are classified in a hierarchy of authority, and
perform different tasks. In many organizations, the number of
managers in every level resembles a pyramid.

1) Top-level managers

The board of directors, president, vice-president, and CEO are all

examples of top-level managers.
 These managers are responsible for controlling and overseeing the
entire organization. They develop goals, strategic plans, company
policies, and make decisions on the direction of the business.
In addition, top-level managers play a significant role in the
mobilization of outside resources.
Top-level managers are accountable to the shareholders and general
public. There are several functions performed by the top-level
management, but three of them are the most important, and they are:

 To lay down the policies and objective of the organization

 Strategizing the plans of the enterprise and aligning competent
managers to the departments or middle level to carry them out.
 Keeping the communication between the enterprise and the outside
world.

2) Middle Level of Manager

General managers, branch managers, and department managers are
all examples of middle-level managers. They are accountable to the
top management for their department’s function.

Middle-level managers devote more time to organizational and

directional functions than top-level managers. Their roles can be
emphasized as:

 Executing organizational plans in conformance with the company’s

policies and the objectives of the top management;
 Defining and discussing information and policies from top
management to lower management; and most importantly
 Inspiring and providing guidance to low-level managers towards
better performance.

Some of their functions are as follows:

 Designing and implementing effective group and intergroup work and
information systems;
 Defining and monitoring group-level performance indicators;
 Diagnosing and resolving problems within and among work groups;
 Designing and implementing reward systems supporting cooperative
behavior.

OR
 To carry out the plans of the organization according to policies and
directives laid down by the top-level management.
 To organize the division or departmental activities.
 To be an inspiration or create motivation for junior managers to
improve their efficiency.

3) Low-level managers

Supervisors, section leads, and foremen are examples of low-level

management titles. These managers focus on controlling and
directing.
Low-level managers usually have the responsibility of:
 Assigning employees tasks;
 Guiding and supervising employees on day-to-day activities;
 Ensuring the quality and quantity of production;
 Making recommendations and suggestions; and
 Upchanneling employee problems.

Also referred to as first-level managers, low-level managers are role

models for employees. These managers provide:
 Basic supervision;
 Motivation;
 Career planning;
 Performance feedback; and
 Staff supervision.

OR

the primary functions of lower-level management:

 To allocate tasks and responsibilities to the operative employees.

 To ensure quality and be responsible for the production quantity.
 To communicate the goals and objective of the firm laid down by the
higher level.
 managers to the employees and also the suggestions,
recommendations, appeals, and information concerning employee
problems to the higher-level managers.
 To give instruction and guided direction to workers on their day to
day jobs.
 To give periodic reports of the workers to the higher-level managers.
3 Management Levels in Organizational
Hierarchy
Top-Level Management

Top-level managers, or top managers, are also called senior

management or executives. Leaders of the organization are setting
in top-level management.

These individuals are at the top one or two levels in an organization and
hold titles such as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer
(CFO), Chief Operational Officer (COO), Chief Information Officer
(CIO), Chairperson of the Board, President, Vice president, Corporate
head.

 Top-level managers make decisions affecting the entirety of the firm.

 Top managers do not direct the firm’s day-to-day activities; rather,
they set goals for the organization and direct the company to
achieve them.
 Top managers are ultimately responsible for the organization’s
performance, and often, these managers have obvious jobs.
Top-level managers require having excellent conceptual and decision-
making skills.

Middle-Level Management
Middle-level managers, or middle managers, are those in the levels
below top managers.
Middle managers’ job titles include General Manager, Plant Manager,
Regional Manager, and Divisional manager.

 Middle-level managers are responsible for carrying out the goals set
by top management. They do so by setting goals for their departments
and other business units.
 Middle managers control, motivate and assist first-line managers in
achieving business objectives.
 Middle managers also communicate upward by offering suggestions
and feedback to top managers. In addition, because middle managers
are more involved in the day-to-day workings of a company, they may
 provide valuable information to top managers to help improve the
organization’s bottom line.
Middle-level managers’ job’s perfection depends very much on these
communication and interpersonal skills.

Lower-Level Management
First-level managers are also called first-line managers, shop-level
managers, or supervisors.
These managers have job titles such as office manager, Shift Supervisor,
Department Manager, Foreperson, Crew leader, Store manager.

 First-line managers are responsible for the daily management of line

workers—the employees who produce the product or offer the service.
 There are first-line managers in every work unit in the organization.
Although first-level managers typically do not set goals for the
organization, they have a powerful influence on the company. These
are the managers that most employees interact with daily, and if the
managers perform poorly, employees may also perform poorly, may
lack motivation, or may leave the company.

A First-level manager requires having technical skill knowledge for the

particular work that he is supervising