Interpersonal skills

A person in the managerial level is expected to have good interpersonal skills. Being the leader of the team, it is his prerogative to handle interpersonal conflicts, personality clashes and other issues related to the team. He should be able to analyze the differences in his team and take impartial decisions.

A healthy formal interaction among the employees in the organization encourages increased productivity. In this age of globalization, it is necessary to have interpersonal skills to work with people from different nations and cultures.

Presentation skills

People who are working for corporations, more or less need to be good presenters. Every area of corporate life requires presentation. It can be presenting before existing or prospective customers, suppliers, media or people within the organization. It is very important to have necessary presentation skills to present the service, plan or product before the audience. One should customize one’s presentation according to the audience. It should be based on the level of education, interest, requirements and suitable time of the audience. Presentation in both forms; oral as well as written form, should be well taken care of by the managers. Etiquette     Etiquette refers to the socially accepted behavior and manners to be followed in formal situations. It includes office manners, eating etiquette and procedures to be followed in different situations. Etiquette differs according to the cultures and nations. But there are certain common features which are generally accepted in the corporate world. For example; giving respect and being gentle with elderly people and ladies, taking care of the guests, being gentle and polite in our words and movements, eating without making loud noise, etc. Today’s manager is a participative leader with the appropriate etiquette.

Grooming Grooming includes mainly the presentability of the person. It is about the right dressing sense of the people according to the situations. A man’s attire includes tucked in full sleeve shirt with tie, preferably of light color, dark trousers, neatly polished black shoes with matching socks, neatly combed short hair and clean shaven face.

A woman is expected to be dignified in her dressing style. Transparent or body fitting clothes, high heeled shoes, too bright colored dress, over made up face are a big no. The dress should be neatly pinned and of pleasant color. Light make up makes the person more presentable. Dress code of the organization has to be strictly followed. People with right dressing sense are appreciated in all organizations.

Team spirit

Days are gone for individual glory or recognition.  Team efforts are appreciated by the companies these days. All kinds of work need united approach and mutual help towards reaching the goals. As a manager it is important to be the facilitator for the team efforts. He has a major role to play in sorting out the interpersonal conflicts with the team and with other teams. When people from different backgrounds and ways of thinking come together, lot of brain storming takes place, which eventually leads to creative ideas.

Right attitude

Attitude can be divided into two types - positive attitude and negative attitude. Positive attitude is considered right attitude. During hiring rookies with the right attitude are considered over those with mere subject knowledge. If a person has less subject knowledge, it can be provided in induction and training programs. But a person who has negative attitude towards his work and organization becomes useless and ineffective in the workplace. Managers with positive attitude towards the organization can be a positive influence to the team and the company. They can achieve greater success in their professional life also.

Flexibility Flexibility stands for the ability to be open to changes, new ideas and environment. It needs a lot of effort from one’s side to accept, listen to and respect others opinions. A successful and efficient manager will show flexibility in listening to the opinions of the team and take every one into confidence while taking important decisions. Management should accept new thoughts and ideas for its growth.

Presence of mind

It is very important for the person in a managerial role to be mentally alert for the changes within and outside the organization. He should have the presence of mind to take timely decisions at the time of crisis.

Time management

A stitch in time saves nine. A manager should be a good example to others by setting a high standard on time management. If things are not planned or completed on time, it will have adverse effect on the organization. In today’s competitive age, everyone is running behind time. It has become a necessity for all companies to work on timely schedules to meet and surpass the competitors.

Work ethics

Work without ethics will not give a long life to organizations as well as individuals. Adhering to the general principles and guidelines is mandatory for the company to function smoothly in the market. Each employee should stick to the work ethics and cultures of the company.

Personal hygiene

It is implicitly believed and expected by all organizations that the employees should take care of their personal hygiene for their own, as well as for the sake of the organization. It is a basic requirement for the employees to take care of their body odour, bad breath, unkempt and crumpled clothes, dirty finger nails, shoes and socks, unruly hair and unshaven face. Neat people are appreciated and accepted in all organizations.

Listening skills

We have two ears and one mouth and we are supposed to use them proportionately. But we speak more and listen less. It is a commonly understood principle of life that if we listen to others’ words we will have audience to our words too. A good leader will be a good listener too. Many a time, listening rather than speaking will solve a lot of problems. Listening means active listening, not passive hearing of words.

Communication skills

Nobody denies the role of effective communication skills in making a manager an efficient leader. Communication skills in both oral as well as written forms are very important for all roles in an organization. Effective oral communication has a strong role to play in getting the desired results in marketing and sales jobs. Good written communication is very important in any back office jobs too.

Street smartness

Due to cut throat competition in the market for products and services, most companies have their job profiles which are related to field work. Naturally, candidates who can do wonders in field work and are ready to struggle in the hot sun are preferred than those who are looking for only back office jobs. Even otherwise, it is very important to have one’s individuality and be street smart to become one’s own boss.

Common sense

What is lacking among most people is common sense. People are good in repeating what others do or what the boss says. Many people fail to think on their own and take appropriate decisions at the time of crisis. The solutions to many of our problems are related to basic facts and minimum efforts. But people think much and work less towards the solutions. People in the managerial level are expected to have the knowledge of basic facts, simple solutions and common sense.

The combination of these will most definitely help a person outrun his or her competitors in the rat race of the present-day aggressive business world. In combination with profound hard skills this person will be able to turn any career challenge into a personal and business growth opportunity.