7 Management Skills You Should Develop This Year

The business landscape is ever-changing. With businesses slowly adapting to the hybrid and remote working models while juggling the increasing amounts of pressure to achieve goals and expectations, there has never been more pressure on the people in management.

Using data from the world's top performers across three decades, hundreds of job roles and a variety of industries, Gallup discovered the seven necessary skills required for success in any role, in any profession, in any industry -- from front-line to executive leadership.

Let’s consider how these seven skills can be applied to being a successful manager:

1. Relationship building

2. Develop their teams

3. Lead change

4. Inspire others

5. Develop critical thinking

6. Communicate

7. Create accountability

1. Relationship Building

Managers and leaders can create great relationships internally and externally if they know how. Great professional relationships have the ability to be innovative, energised, and resilient teams.

When looking to develop managers’ relationship-building ability, focus on interpersonal skills, verbal and non-verbal communication, listening, empathy, emotional intelligence, networking, and team-building skills.

2. Develop their teams

Upskilling has been a golden word over the last few years, and for good reason. Employee upskilling is important for boosting staff satisfaction and retention rates, as well as future-proofing your business, ensuring you maintain a competitive edge over competitors in your industry.

When there is so much to be done, it can be difficult to squeeze in training and development. Therefore, it has become so important to develop your team through work. Gallup suggests asking, ‘How can I incorporate development into essential tasks so that a year from now, we are a better team?’

3. Lead change

Change is not always welcomed by everyone. Some people struggle with change, whilst others embrace it. Managers are responsible for translating the meaning of change to individuals in the team, and the best managers are able to anticipate and address concerns.

Effective change leadership involves three elements:

Communication (go to point 6)

Collaboration

Bring people together to plan and execute change. They will be much more open to it if they have expressed their opinions and have had them considered.

Commitment

Successful leaders make sure their own beliefs and behaviours have supported change too. Be a decisive but informed decision-maker.

4. Inspire others

Many managers like being managers because they enjoy supporting and developing people and find that inspiring others comes naturally to them. Generating positivity is essential for any manager or leader, more so now than ever.

Being inspiring comes from encouraging others through positivity, vision, confidence, challenges, and recognition. Having inspiring managers and leaders can transform a workplace, increasing engagement, retention, and overall culture.

5. Develop critical thinking

One of the rewarding and beneficial parts of being in management is being in the know about the ins and outs of the business. It’s also a gateway to gather more information by asking your team questions.

Good managers constantly gather and evaluate information that leads to smart decision making.

Stay up to date with your industry

You may think you are completely immersed within your market sector day to day; however, actively researching what’s going on in your industry will equip you with essential insights on the latest trends and changes. Set up daily Google alerts or read news sites that are dedicated to your market sector. Set aside just 10 minutes a day to stay up to date.

Not only will this keep you up to date, but it will also provide you with talking points when networking.

6. Communicate

Arguably the most important skill of any manager is good communication. Gallup research consistently finds that frequent manager-employee conversations are key to employee engagement. Quality communication allows for employees to gain some feedback as to how they’re doing, making them feel more prepared to do their job, and increasing engagement.

Great business is also done with great people, and this is impossible if you can communicate effectively. Interacting and collaborating with your team is the key to success. Proactively take time to get to know your team and ask their opinions on projects, so they become comfortable with you and know that you care about their opinion.

Communication also includes transparency, listening and empathy. It takes practice.

Creating an environment where communication is a priority will also encourage people to tell you when there is something wrong.

7. Create accountability

For managers, creating team accountability is about instilling a heartfelt sense of ownership in each contributor. Give people work that they love to do and encourage people to be experts in their field. When people are engaged in what they do, they are more likely to take ownership and contribute fully to the team.

Lead by example and hold yourself and your team responsible for performance.

Gallup suggests not to try and improve all your team management skills at once.

Which skill do you consider the most important? Evaluate yourself and establish what you need to work on the most.

In addition, it is also essential to develop positive habits

Make your health a priority

The focus on mental health has impacted every professional industry and made us more aware of how it can affect our lives. Whether it’s a temporary impact like burnout or a long-term impact like feeling ‘down’, don’t ignore signs of mental health – speak to someone who can help!

Making physical health choices is also just as important. Exercising may not sound like a business habit; however, exercising regularly will help increase your overall energy levels, which can lead to more productive business hours. It is also a great way to clear your head and burn off work-related stress.

Stop getting distracted

We all know that our phones and emails are an essential part of business; however, they are also a huge distraction when trying to focus on a task. Delegate time to check your phone and email so they don’t distract you from being productive. Save social time on your phone for the evenings.

Delegate

You can’t do everything, which is why you have equipped yourself with such a great team. Delegate tasks that could be done better by somebody else or that you don’t have time to do. As your company grows, you need to be able to give tasks to other members of the team so you can focus on more important tasks. Delegating prevents elements of your business from being neglected.

Change your mindset

Your mindset will control every aspect of your business. Work on developing a positive mindset so you can positively impact your team. Being an influential leader should be a priority, and you can only do that with positivity.

Focus on the wins and get your team to do the same!