Text b managerial skills

The job of every manager involves what is known as the functions of management: planning, organizing, directing, and controlling. These functions are goal-directed, interrelated and interdependent. In order to perform the functions of management and to assume multiple roles, managers need a knowledge base and key management skills. A skill is the ability to engage in a set of behaviors that are functionally related to one another and that lead to a desired performance level in a given area.

A knowledge base can include information about an industry and its technology, company policies and practices, company goals and plans, company culture, the personalities of key organization members, and important supplies and customers. In addition to having a knowledge base, managers need key managerial skills.

A skill is the ability to engage in a set of behaviors that are functionally related to one another and that lead to a desired performance level in a given area. There are three managerial skill types that are essential to successful management: technical, human, and conceptual..

Technical skill involves process or technique knowledge and proficiency, it reflects both an understanding of and a proficiency in a specialized field. Managers use the processes, techniques and tools of a specific area. For example, a manager may have technical skills in accounting, finance, engineering, manufacturing or computer science.

Human skill involves the ability to work effectively with others both as a member of a group and as a leader who gets things done through others to interact with people. Managers interact and cooperate with employees. Managers with human skills are very good at communicating with employees and motivating them to develop themselves and perform well in pursuit of organizational goals. Effective communication in the organization centers on well-defined objectives that support the organization's goals and mission. Communication is the process of passing information and understanding from one person to another. The communication process involves six basic elements: sender (encoder), message, channel, receiver (decoder), noise, and feedback. Managers can improve communication skills by becoming aware of these elements and how they contribute to successful communication.

Conceptual skill involves the formulation of ideas, the ability to visualize the organization as a whole and understand how the organization fits into the wider context of the industry, community and world. Managers need to recognize these various elements and understand the complex abstract relationships, develop ideas, and solve problems creatively. Thus, technical skill deals with things, human skill concerns people, and conceptual skill has to do with ideas.

A manager's level in the organization determines the relative importance of possessing technical, human, and conceptual skills. Top level managers need conceptual skills in order to view the organization as a whole. Conceptual skills are used in planning and dealing with ideas and abstractions. Supervisors need technical skills to manage their area of specialty. All levels of management need human skills in order to interact and communicate with other people successfully.

The ability of managing time influences greatly on the effectiveness of a manager which in its turn is the result of the way he or she practices managerial skills on a day-to-day level.

Harried managers want to organize their lives. Shorter deadlines, endless meetings, interruptions, and ever higher quality expectations are just some of today's time challenges. The fast pace of modern life brings no closure to work issues. Even when away from work, the supervisor's mind constantly races through scenarios that happened at work.

Managers are knowledge workers. They are not expected to punch time clocks, but face the dilemma of too much to do and not enough time to do it. Thus, time, not activities, is the limiting factor. Use of time determines how successful managers will be in a work environment that is limited by hours and human energy. Successful managers work smarter, not harder, with time management tools designed to help them make more effective choices about what to do and what not to do. As organizations ask fewer people to do more work in today's environment, the top performers are those who can make the critical choices.

The essence of time management is really self-management. Time is not adaptable. The number of hours in the day remains the same, 24. However, the managers can adapt himself or herself to the passage of time. Make a daily “to do” list, schedule time for best advantage. Interruptions are part of the job. Expect unpredictable actions when managing people. Be flexible and schedule time each day for the unexpected. Encourage people to set appointments.

Thus, the proper use of time becomes a measure of success. Yet, desire for success can yield unexpected results: exhaustion, dissatisfaction, and insomnia. The need for success can lead to stress.

Conceptual skills, coupled with technical skills, human skills, and a knowledge base, are important ingredients in organizational performance. The effectiveness of a manager is the result of the way he or she practices managerial skills on a day-to-day level.

Exercise 14. Comprehension. Say if the statements are true or false. Correct the false variant.

1. To operate effectively managers have only to develop work agenda.

2. A knowledge base means that a manager has all the necessary information about an industry and its technology.

3. Actions of an unskilled manager cannot lead to a desired performance level.

4. It’s insignificant for a manager to know a lot about the company he works for and the people he deals with.

5. Technical skills show that a manager can visualize the organization as part of industry, community, world.

6. Human skills show how well a manager can understand people working with him.

7. Conceptual abilities prevent a manager from taking actions that advance the goals of the organization.

8. Successful managers work harder, not smarter.

9. Time management tools help managers to organize their activities.

Exercise 15. Say what you’ve learned from the text about

1. a knowledge base and its importance for managers;

2. key managerial skills, their definition and significance;

3. managing time.

Exercise 16. Discussion.

You can study how well you are using your time during the day by making a list of everything you do and how long it takes you to do it. Stop for a few seconds every fifteen minutes or so and document your time usage for that period of the day. Make your record precise and specific. List all of the significant results accomplished during each quarter hour. Expand the following time analysis chart.

Time	Usage	Comments
8:00
8:15

After making your last entry for the day on your time analysis chart, categorize each time usage event. Be sure to note if the category is planning (P), organizing (O), directing (D), or controlling (C). For categories other than planning, organizing, directing, or controlling, ask yourself: "Does this task really require my talents and experience, or could someone else do it or be taught to do it?"

Time	Usage	Comments	Category (P,O,D,C)
8:00
8:15
8:30

- How satisfied are you with your time usage?

- Is each individual task worth the time you are spending

on it?

Exercise 17. Crossword puzzle. All the terms are taken from text A and text B.

ACROSS

1. Ability to formulate ideas.

5. Skills of interpersonal relations.

6. The user of a product.

8. Roles of figurehead, liaison, and leader.

9. Roles of monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson.

11. To offer similar products or services.

DOWN

2. Ability to use process or technique knowledge.

3. Roles of entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and negotiator.

4. Organized set of behaviors.

7. Proficiency in a specific area.

10. Belief in the manager.

						1						2
								5
3						4
												6			7
8
9							10
		11

Exercise 18. Supplementary reading for further discussion.

The key to management style is the relations of the senior executives to the people they are supervising. When they are able to create in those people the need to accomplish plus the feeling of appreciation and to provide them with the proper tools and instructions, the operation will be a success. People really are the most important of all components.

A manager is one who causes to be implemented what an executive has directed. Managers take people, budgets, and time, and work all of them with and against each other in order to accomplish specific jobs. Many people with executive titles are managers.

Executives are the people who create the decisions and the situations that are to be carried out by managers. Executives make decisions which are based on fact, experience, and intuition. The difference between a successful and an unsuccessful executive lies in the ability to communicate.

People are both either executives or managers and it is possible to tell which they are by the time they are 3 years old. This does not mean they will get that title on the door at the proper age.

Exercise 19. Explain the meaning of the following word groups.

the need to accomplish

proper tools and instructions

to implement what an executive has directed

to create the decisions

the ability to communicate

to get that title on the door

Exercise 20. Think and answer.

1. What do you think about relations between senior executives and the people they are supervising?

2. What do we mean by experience?

3. Why is experience important?

4. Do you agree with the writer’s view on the job of a manager?

Exercise 21. Discussion. How do you rate as a manager?

What position would you like to have: to manage people – manager; to work for someone else –employee; to be responsible for everything – top manager, director; to work for the state – state employee?

Do the questionnaire, then compare your answers with a partner.

1. How do you get on with other people?

a. I get on with almost everybody.

b. I have my own friends and I don’t really need anyone else.

c. I don’t really feel at home with other people.

2. Can you lead and motivate others?

a. Once someone is moving I’ll join in.

b. I’m good at giving orders when I know what to do.

c. I can persuade most people to follow me when I start something.

3. Can you take responsibility?

a. I like to take charge and obtain results.

b. I’ll take charge if I have to but I prefer someone else to be responsible.

c. Someone always wants to be the leader and I’m happy to let them do the job.

4. Are you a good organizer?

a. I tend to get confused when unexpected problems arise.

b. I like to plan exactly what I’m going to do.

c. I just like to let things happen.

5. How good a worker are you?

a. I’m willing to work hard for something I really want.

b. I find my home environment more stimulating than work.

c. Regular work suits me but I don’t like it to interfere with my private life.

6. Can you make decisions?

a. I am quite happy to execute other people’s decisions.

b. I often make very quick decisions which usually work but sometimes don’t.

c. Before making a decision, I need time to think it over.

7. Do you enjoy taking risks?

a. I always evaluate the exact danger of any situation.

b. I like the excitement of taking big risks.

c. For me safety is the most important thing.

8. Are you motivated by money?

a. For me, job satisfaction cannot be measured in money terms.

b. Although money is important to me, I value other things just as much.

c. Making money is my main motivation.

9. Can people believe what you say?

a. I try to be honest, but it is sometimes difficult or too complicated to explain things to other people.

b. I don’t say things I don’t mean.

c. When I think I’m right, I don’t care what anyone else thinks.

10. Do you delegate?

a. I prefer to delegate what I consider to be the least important task.

b. When I have a job to do I like to do everything myself.

c. Delegation is an important part of my job.

For keys to the questionnaire, see “Commentary on the Exercises”

If your score is:

30 or above

You definitely have the necessary qualities to become the director or the top manager of a successful business. You have a strong sense of leadership, you can both organize and motivate and you know exactly where you and your team are going.

between 30 and 16

Although you do have some of the essential skills for managing people, you will, probably, not be able to deal with pressures and strains than are part of the job. You should perhaps consider taking some professional training.

below 16

Managing people is not for you. You are better suited to an environment where you are not responsible for making decisions and taking risks. To operate successfully you need to follow well defined instructions and you prefer work that is both regular and predictable.

PART TWO. TEXTS FOR

SUPPLEMENTARY READING

UNIT I. HISTORY OF MANAGEMENT

Read and translate the text.

Answer the questions on the text below.

√ √ √ √

What management schools appeared in the 20th century? What does the term “taylorism” imply? What is the difference between the classical and the neoclassical schools? What approaches can help integrate the theories of management?

Some American scientists popularize a useful model of the evolution of management theory in the United States This model includes classical, human relations, and human resources management. The Classical school of thought began around 1900 and continued into the 1920s. Traditional or classical management focuses on efficiency and includes bureaucratic, scientific and administrative management. Bureaucratic management relies on a rational set of structuring guidelines, such as rules and procedures, hierarchy, and a clear division of labor. Scientific management focuses on the "one best way" to do a job. Administrative management emphasizes the flow of information in the operation of the organization.

Frederic Taylor is known as the Father of Scientific Management. Many of his definitive studies were performed at Bethlehem Steel Company in Pittsburgh. To improve productivity, Taylor examined the time and motion details of a job, developed a better method for performing that job, and trained the worker.

Administrative management emphasizes the manager and the functions of management. Henri Fayol (1841-1925), known as the Father of Modern Management, was a French industrialist who developed a framework for studying management. His five functions of managers were plan, organize, command, coordinate, and control. His fourteen principles of management included division of work, authority and responsibility, discipline, unity of command, unity of direction, subordination of individual interests to general interests, renumeration of personnel, centralization, scalar chain, order, equity, stability of tenure of personnel, initiative, and ‘esprit de corps’(union is strength).

Behavioral or human relations management emerged in the 1920s and dealt with the human aspects of organizations. It has been referred to as the neoclassical school because it was initially a reaction to the shortcomings of the classical approaches to management. Worker attitude was found to be important. An extensive employee interviewing program of 21,000 interviews was conducted to determine employee attitudes toward the company and their jobs. As a major outcome of these interviews, supervisors learned that an employee's complaint frequently is a symptom of some underlying problem on the job, at home, or in the person's past.

Beginning in the early 1950s, the human resources school represented a substantial progression from human relations. The behavioral approach did not always increase productivity. Thus, motivation and leadership techniques became a topic of great interest. The human resources school understands that employees are very creative and competent, and that much of their talent is largely untapped by their employers. Employees want meaningful work; they want to contribute; they want to participate in decision making and leadership functions.