Key Management Skills

In addition to having a knowledge base, managers need three key types of skills to carry out the various functions of management. 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. For managers, the three key skill types are technical, human, and conceptual.

Technical Skills. Technical skills are skills that reflect both an understanding of and a proficiency in a specialized field. For example, a manager may have technical skills in a specialized field such as accounting, finance, engineering, manufacturing, or computer science.

Human Skills. Human skills are skills associated with a manager's ability to work well with others both as a member of a group and as a leader who gets things done through others. Managers with effective human skills typically are particularly adept at communicating with others and motivating them to develop themselves and perform well in pursuit of organizational goals.

Conceptual Skills. Conceptual skills are skills related to the ability to visualize the organization as a whole, discern interrelationships among organizational parts, 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 relationships among them so that they can take actions that advance the goals of the organization. Conceptual skills, coupled with technical skills, human skills, and a knowledge base, are important ingredients in organizational performance.

Performance

What constitutes high performance in an organization? Performance actually is made up of two important dimensions: effectiveness and efficiency. Effectiveness. Effectiveness is the ability to choose appropriate goals and achieve them. Effectiveness, then, has two parts. First, goals must be appropriate. Second, goals must be reached. For example, Nordstrom,Inc., a Seattle-based apparel, shoe, and soft-goods retailer, is carving out an admirable niche for itself by providing legendary good customer service at its 55 department stores (mainly on the West Coast). Sales associates (many of whom are college graduates) gift-wrap packages for no extra cost and have even been known to drop them off at customers' homes in a pinch. Piano players serenade customers while they shop. According to one story, which the store has not denied, a customer got his money back on a tire. Given that the company does not sell tires, the story illustrates the store's dedication to a return policy based on "no questions asked". Bill Baer, a men's clothing salesman in the Palo Alto store, says, "Nordstrom tells me to do whatever I need to do to make you happy. Period." This stance has enabled the upscale chain to expand into new areas of the country such as Washington, D.C., and New Jersey. Nordstrom illustrates that effectiveness is essentially doing (accomplishing)

the right things.

Efficiency.

In contrast, efficiency is the ability to make the best use of available resources in the process of achieving goals. In essence, organizations need to exhibit both effectiveness (doing the right things) and efficiency (doing things right) in order to be good performers.

VOCABULARY ITEMS

work agenda – рабочий план, рабочая повестка

knowledge base – база знаний

management skills – навыки управления

to switch companies – менять компании

apt – вероятный, возможный; склонный

to run into difficulties – сталкиваться с трудностями

a supplier – поставщик

a customer – заказчик; покупатель

to be related to – быть связанным с

technical skills – технические навыки

proficiency – опытность

human skills – навыки общения с людьми

to associate – соединять, связывать

an adept – знаток, эксперт; сведущий

to develop – развивать(-ся)

to be in pursuit of – быть в поисках

conceptual skills – понятийные навыки

to visualize – отчетливо представлять себе

to discern interrelationships – различать взаимосвязи

a community – общество; сообщество

to recognize – признавать; различать

to take actions – принять меры

performance – исполнение, выполнение

to constitute – составлять

dimension – величина; измерение

effectiveness – результативность; годность; польза

appropriate – подходящий, соответствующий

efficiency – эффективность; подготовленность

available resources – ресурсы, имеющиеся в наличии

to exhibit – показывать, проявлять

II. Exercises

a. Answer the questions.

1) Why is a knowledge base important to managers?

2) What do managers need to carry out the various functions of management?

3) What does a skill mean?

4) What skills are associated with a manager’s ability to work well with others?

5) What is the difference between effectiveness and efficiency in organ-izational performance?

b Translate Sentences into Russian.

Eg: They need both a sound knowledge base and management skills.

Они нуждаются как в прочной базе знаний, так и в навыках управления.

a) Technical skills are skills that reflect both an understanding of and a proficiency in a specialized field.

b) Human skills are skills associated with a manager’s ability to work well with others both as a member of a group and as a leader who gets things done through others.

c) In essence, organizations need to exhibit both effectiveness (doing the right things) and efficiency (doing things right) in order to be good performers.

c. Find the English equivalents from the text for following words and word combinations:

Включать в себя, реклама, предоставлять/ обеспечивать, содействовать, являться важным элементом, в зависимости от чего-либо, непосредственно, клиент, являться неотъемлемой частью чего-либо, тщательный анализ.

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