CHAPTER 2

MANAGEMENT SKILLS

 

A. DELEGATION

1. Benefits of delegation to manager, team leader and team members

Benefits for team leader

• Reduction of workload
• Concentrate on own work priorities
• Overall productivity and activity levels should increase
• Feel "on top" of the job

Benefits for team members:

• Motivated
• They will have a greater understanding of the boundaries of their own authority.
• Each team member should know what they are supposed to be doing.
• Communication should improve between leader and members.
• Training opportunities for members.
• Increase profile of leader and team as a whole.

Benefits for manager

• Team performing at greater capacity
• May have the opportunity to delegate to team leader
• Team leader and team should become more motivated and productive.
• Chances of meeting overall objectives as a manager should increase.

 

B. decision making

1. Main points of decision making process

• Recognition of problem
• Definition of problem
• Data collection and information
• Analyzing data and information
• Define objectives
• Consider available/realistic options
• Decide the best way forward
• Implement the preferred option
• Monitor progress
• Understand any learning points for next time.

Be aware that some problems need to be solved immediately and often reactively on the basis of best compromise situation.

Example ????

 

C. Communication

1) factors by which communication is affected 

• Length of communication
• Type and size of audience
• The purpose of the communication
• The timing of communication
• The amount of detail contained
• The skills of the communicator
• The content of the communication
• Whether the communication is formal or informal
• The urgency or otherwise for immediate feedback
• The alternatives available
• The culture of the organization

2) the impact of information technology on communication

For the individual

• Wordprocessors
• Electronic diaries
• The ability to work remotely or in isolation (i.e home working)

Communication 1 to 1

• Ever improving telephone technology
• General use of mobile/portable telephones and voice mail
• The potential to contact people wherever they may be at any time of the day.

Individual to group communication 

• Video conferencing
• CCTV
• Conference telephones
• Facilities to improve effectiveness of documents

Team to team communication

• Faxsimiles
• Ever improving word processor facilities
• Greater capacity for the use of computers

d. john adair

1. team needs - task needs - individual needs 

Team Needs

• Communication
• Team morale
• Awareness of the reason for existence
• Awareness of targets
• To integrate socially
• To be aware of and deal with conflict
• To have established rules
• To constantly be aware of ongoing performance levels, of what is going well and what areas need extra work on.
• Awareness of group standards

Task Needs

• To be clear about what needs to be done.
• To obtain relevant information
• To clarify objectives
• Divide objectives up into tasks
• Discuss an action plan
• Where resources will be needed and where we can obtain them
• Invite opinion from the whole team
• Implement and perfect monitoring procedures
• Ensure any plan is adapted to changing circumstances.

Individual needs

• Be aware of the abilities and skills of each member
• To provide individual coaching
• Identify individual training needs
• Ensure that each member has specific, realistic tasks.
• To give individual feedback on job perfomance
• To be available for advice and support
• To recognize success
• Ensure each individual is conforming rules and regulations
• Be aware of individual levels of morale

 

E. Skills of manager

• People skills
• Social skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Motivational skills
• Political skills

How these skills apply in reality?

 

F. management by objectives

1. advantages

• The manager has clear targets
• The manager can contribute to agreeing clear goals
• Critical priority elements within a job are identifies
• MBO facilitates the monitoring of performance
• It facilitates business units to plan activity towards defined targets and objectives.
• Organizational objectives are made clear to all staff.
• Potentially a more motivational way of working.
• System of multi-directional communication is essential
• Each member be clearer to their roles and responsibilities and how to contribute to the overall success of the organization.

2. disadvantages

• Implementation process can be lengthy
• MBO can create its own "cottage industry" /bureaucracy.
• Targets if not realistic may de-motivate
• Not all business units are susceptible to specific target setting
• Failure to achieve the objectives may lead to de-motivation
• An objective judgement of performance may be difficult and costly to achieve

3. activities to take prior to introducing mbo

• Undertake a management audit to define management structure
• Senior management to understand how employees fit together.
• Understand strength and weaknesses in the structure of the organization.
• Prepare a set of control systems and procedures
• Analyze managerial jobs in terms of job size, job purpose, etc.
• Identify the key results of each job
• Ensure that there is an effective communication system.
• Communication is essential if managers are to know the various objectives and play their part in debating , discussing and agreeing.
• Communication minimizes areas of misunderstanding , frustration and lack of knowledge.
• Provide adequate training programs for managers
• Understand what will make realistic and challenging targets.