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We are not talking about financial administration, specifically, but about the management of collaborators, and therefore about the ability to analyze, on the basis of company objectives, which activities should be performed, in what way, by whom and to monitor their progress.
If we wanted to divide this area of application of managerial skills into phases, they would probably be the following:
- collection of information, data analysis
- identification of the solution to the problem or possible optimizations
- strategy planning and project definition
- priority management and time management
- budgeting and financial management
On this last point, it is appropriate to dwell for a moment, because one of the greatest difficulties in companies concerns precisely the definition of priority activities, urgent and otherwise. Using the PowerPoint project management templates is essential for the same now.
Managerial skills
The so-called Eisenhower matrix, represented in the image, was designed by the US President precisely to distinguish urgent activities from those that are not, as well as important and unimportant activities, so as not to run the risk of wasting precious time in delegable and postponable tasks.
Resource management
The ability to manage the work team is essential, whether it is small groups or more structured departments, because it requires emotional and relational skills. It is not easy, in fact, to make sure that each component understands the importance of his role in achieving the objectives and consequently assumes his responsibilities.
A further complex aspect is the coordination of activities; in this sense, the leader is like a conductor and trust is essential.
The 3 key competences in this area concern:
- definition of the structure of the working groups, oriented towards effectiveness
- creating a collaborative environment that supports each person
- management of internal department dynamics and relations with other teams
Strategy
Strategic skills are reflected in the understanding of the company’s mission, in the ability to embody its values and to inspire collaborators with their own example, every day. Their motivation is determined by authentic involvement and consistency between words and actions.
The 3 key steps in defining an effective action plan are:
- understanding of the market and the specific sector
- in-depth knowledge of the company and its values
- definition of the actions to be taken to implement the strategy
Self-management
The goal of the so-called organizational empowerment is achievable only after developing individual skills, including those of managers. One of these is awareness of weaknesses and strengths, effective and harmful habits.
Here are the personal characteristics to be developed:
- integrity and ethics
- determination and resilience
- respect for the work-life balance
- self-awareness
Diversity & inclusion
An ever increasing number of companies have introduced the role of diversity manager, entrusting their roles to already existing figures in the HR sector or creating an ad hoc role. In general, managing inclusive policies for enhancing differences should be an effective leader’s goal. The collaborators are not all equal and, consequently, one should not relate to everyone in the same way; on the other hand, however, equal opportunities must be guaranteed for all categories.
In addition to a certain general culture, openness and sensitivity help the manager to understand, appreciate and value the differences from the points of view:
In the article, we saw the useful skills to develop for managers, divided into 6 main areas. As you may have guessed, the basic idea is that learning and increasing skills, especially soft skills, is a continuous need in today’s flexible market.
