subject: Required Abilities for Management Jobs [print this page] Required Abilities for Management Jobs Required Abilities for Management Jobs
All fields have managerial positions. Otherwise, who would be in charge and keep a group of individuals on the right track? No matter if you are in accounting, corporate communications, human resources, retail, property management, or any other career area, nearly all management jobs, of all levels, require the same types of general skills.
Leadership is a key component for all management jobs. Leadership, however, can be broken down into smaller qualities: assertiveness, good communication skills, and innovativeness. A leader must command a team by, first, getting all members to pay attention and then communicating ideas or tasks effectively, so that all workers understand the goal and the project. Additionally, ideas need to be original and effective. When a leader comes up with a string of poorly-executed plans or incomplete ideas, he or she inevitably loses respect from the team.
At the same time, management jobs require you to ingratiate yourself with your coworkers and subordinates you are not an island unto yourself. Being able to listen and take suggestions is a key quality for a manager. Disregarding suggestions, regularly interrupting employees as they try to speak, or avoiding conversations by claiming to be "busy" can make employees feel ignored and disrespected. If such situations continue, your employees may leave. Worse, a subordinate may speak with your superior about your behavior.
A leader rarely ends up on a high-profile position by chance, and in order to be in management, he or she likely has a track record of success. No matter if you increased sales for a company, create an effective plan for bringing a print magazine online, or have a large portfolio of properties, you display job-related results that indicate how you expanded a company and got employees to realize and execute such goals.
On top of all of these qualities, however, is experience. Similar to achieving results, experience translates to more time in the workforce, a better understanding of company culture, and longer time spent in your field. Management jobs generally require an individual to have five or more years of experience, although there are exceptions, and an individual should be achieving results and be both a good leader and team player during this time.
