Management Skills: 11 Skills to Succeed as a First Time Manager

You’ve been hoping for a promotion for a while, and when you get the job, you're ecstatic! You have always wanted to take on a managerial role, and with your new title, you couldn’t be happier. However, after the celebratory confetti settles, you start to worry that you won’t “have what it takes” to be a great manager.

Does this sound familiar?

As a new manager, there is a range of new responsibilities and demands. Working with people can be challenging, and not all managers have the management skills needed for the job. If you are a new manager, focus on the following 11 management skills, and you will feel more confident in your role and lead your team to success.

1. High Emotional Intelligence

The most important management skill you can have is emotional intelligence. Experts have
outlined five pillars of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, motivation, and social skills, and you need all 5 to be a great manager!

You need to build strong relationships with your team, so they will feel engaged and supported. When employees feel this way, productivity, innovation, and performance are improved.
To manage with emotional intelligence and empathy, use the following formula:

The Emotionally Intelligent Empathy Management Formula ™

E = Encourage deeper dialogue for greater understanding

M = Maintain a calm composure

P = Practice the Art of Pausing before speaking. Collect your thoughts

A = Attitude of understanding and listening without bias

T = Take an open heart and open mind approach to listen and understand

H =Help by showing sincere concern and support

Y = Your ability to communicate and listen with your heart and mind is key

(Excerpts from the bestselling book- High Emotional Intelligence for Managers)

When you are empathetic, you can put yourself in another person’s shoes. You can see the perspectives of your team members and demonstrate compassion and understanding.


2. Problem-Solving and Conflict Resolution Skills

When a problem arises, your team will look to you for guidance. Whether it’s a project roadblock or a team conflict – you are the one who needs to step in, and your problem-solving and conflict resolution skills will determine your efficacy as a manager.

You need the skills and confidence to deal with problems head-on. In some cases, you may need to make an important decision quickly or change course; otherwise, issues will worsen. The same applies to conflict. A conflict that is ignored will fester and, therefore, must be addressed immediately.

3. Human Resource Skills

Numerous labor laws dictate what you can say and do as a manager. Your company may also have internal policies that must be followed. When hiring new team members, you need to ask the right questions and hire for diversity.

Even when you hire right and have a great team of employees, you may run into performance issues and need to fire an employee. Just as there are laws and policies when it comes to hiring, there are also rules to follow when it comes to firing. As a new manager, this can all feel very foreign, so you should spend time familiarizing yourself with these.

4. Strategic Thinking Skills

Strategic thinking will help you make better decisions and navigate the “unprecedented.” For example, last year, companies around the world had to pivot as a result of COVID-19. When employees suddenly had to work from home, go virtual, and adapt their entire business model, they needed a manager with strategic thinking skills.

Strategic thinkers are not only able to adjust quickly but can also consider the past and future simultaneously. As a result, they are able to help their team reach their goals. To be a strategic thinker, you need to ask questions, remain curious, and stay flexible. Strategic thinkers don’t shy away from innovation and encourage their team to share new solutions and ideas, eager to test them out. These skills will help you remain agile and adapt to change – something that is inevitable in business. Channel your emotional intelligence, and your strategic thinking skills will increase.

5. Interpersonal Skills

Your interpersonal skills impact your relationship with clients, team members, superiors, and co-workers. They determine how well you communicate and connect with others.

When you are an excellent listener and collaborator, you can display empathy, negotiate and brainstorm. With these skills, you can help rally your team and motivate them, and as a result, they will feel more inspired, engaged, and accepting of the change. Ultimately, your team's happiness and performance depends on your interpersonal skills.

Employees want their managers to be transparent and communicate regularly. Sometimes, for effective communication, you need to listen instead of speaking. Ensure you allow employees to speak up, whether that be requesting feedback or asking questions.

Your interpersonal skills can lift your team up and make them feel excited to work on your team. Without them, you may find employees are unhappy, disengaged and your turnover rate increases.


6. Leadership skills

Leadership skills involve cooperation, integrity, vision, and decision-making. Great managers have a high level of emotional intelligence and use these skills to lead. Consider how would you handle the following situations:

· an argument breaks out between two team members

· your manager told you to need to cut your budget in half

· one employee is struggling with family issues

· a project deadline has been moved up by a month

These are the types of situations you may have to deal with as a manager. Your leadership skills will help you navigate these situations and lead your team to success.

7. Creative Skills

You cannot expect your team to be creative when you are not creative. The best leaders and managers are innovative and encourage their team’s creativity. You can do this by letting go of the status quo and asking your team for new ideas and solutions. When your team brings these forward, test them out.

As a manager, you must validate their innovation and not shut their ideas down. Complete the necessary analysis and test them out. Finally, give team members the responsibility and ownership of these projects as it will increase their creativity and help develop a growth mindset.

8. Subject-Matter Expert (Industry Skills)

Think of everyone in your company. Who would you consider an expert? These people are often trusted, respected, and viewed as an authority. Your team expects you to be a subject-matter expert and will look to you for guidance, knowledge, and expertise.

There is a good chance you already have a significant amount of knowledge and experience, which is how you landed your new position. Now that you have this role, it doesn’t mean you should stop learning and increasing your knowledge. Instead, foster your growth mindset, and become a subject-matter expert in your industry. To position yourself as a subject-matter expert, sign up for training and continuing education programs. Attend seminars and networking effects and consider speaking at an industry conference.

9. Training Skills

You will be required to train new and existing team members. If you want an emotionally intelligent team, you must provide them with growth opportunities such as training sessions, feedback, and learning resources.

As a new manager, you should prioritize the development of your team. Training is much more than facilitating a lesson. It also involves providing detailed instructions for a project, ongoing guidance, and feedback, or setting up shadowing opportunities.

Think of yourself as a mentor and coach, strengthening your team's skills. Just remember, this takes time and should be ongoing. You can’t deliver one training session and wipe your hands of it.

10. Performance Assessment and Feedback Skills

As mentioned in the previous skill, performance assessment and feedback are needed to develop your team. Providing feedback is a skill in itself. When you deliver feedback using emotional intelligence, you can help your team grow and feel more motivated.

In your new role, you may feel uncomfortable pointing out a person’s weaknesses or telling them where they can improve. However, your feedback will be appreciated when using your emotional intelligence (empathy), interpersonal skills, and training skills. Consider performance reviews and discussions an opportunity for you to motivate your team and strengthen your relationships.

Make an effort to provide positive feedback more than you provide constructive feedback. Highlight their strengths often, and give emotionally intelligent feedback to develop their weaknesses. Then, when you know each member of your team – their personality type and communication style – you can effectively adapt your feedback style, so they leave the conversation feeling uplifted.

11. Project Management Skills

In your new role, you will be managing projects and people while overseeing multiple projects that your team is working on. In addition, you need to handle budgets, deadlines, and resources.

Project management skills involve using all your resources effectively, including people, time, and money. It means using time management skills and keeping tabs on progress. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and delegate tasks to others.

The role of a manager can be both rewarding and challenging; however, with the right set of skills, you can be the great leader your team wants and needs. By using these 11 management skills, you will succeed in your new role.

Media Contact

Name: Robert Moment
Email: Robert@HighEmotionalIntelligence.com
Website: www.HighEmotionalIntelligence.com
Location: Arlington
State: Virginia

About the Author

Robert Moment is a results-driven ICF Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach and Trainer and ICF Certified Executive Coach and author of High Emotional Intelligence for Managers.

Robert helps solve communication, leadership, management and employee workplace problems through emotional intelligence training and coaching for sustainable peak performance and guaranteed profitable results.

Visit https://Courses.HighEmotionalIntelligence.com and Enroll in the High Emotional Intelligence Online Training for First Time and Experienced Managers to achieve rapid results and management success.

This release was published on openPR.