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You are here:  /  / 10 Work Skills that Every Manager Should Have Today
85 | April 9, 2024
# 10 Work Skills that Every Manager Should Have Today
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Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
I recently published an article about the “” so I thought it would only be fair to talk about manager skills. Managers can learn a lot of things on the job. For example, how to approve timecards or the steps to conducting a legal and effective interview. But there are some skills that organizations want to see in managers before they get the promotion.
So, if you’re an HR professional trying to communicate performance expectations for the management team, this list might be helpful. Or, if you’re an individual who wants to eventually become a manager, think about building on these skills:
1. **Verbal communication**. Managers are coaches. They are responsible for setting expectations, providing feedback to employees, conducting training, and offering performance guidance. As such, they need to be able to hold an effective two-way conversation.
2. **Listening**. Speaking of effective conversations, I didn’t want to lump this in with verbal communication (above) because it’s far too important. The best managers know when to stop talking and start listening. .
3. **Asking questions**. I’ve talked in the past about . Managers should be curious and willing to ask questions (versus assuming they already know the answer). They also need to be open to letting others know when they don’t know something.
4. **Critical Thinking**. This is different from asking questions (above). Managers need to know when to think “big picture” and when to focus on details – or both. Good decision making involves knowing when you have the right amount of information – which could be very different – depending on your thinking.
5. **Decision making**. Managers should be able to look at a situation and make an assessment about what do to. If they need additional information to make the decision, they can use their communication skills to get what they need.
6. **Written communication**. Because all our conversations can’t happen in-person, managers need to have good writing skills so their words will be understood and interpreted correctly. The good news is that today’s technology tools provide opportunities to collaboration .
7. **Time management**. When managers have too many projects and not enough time, they are forced to prioritize their work. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, except if employees become a low priority. Managers must be able to manage their time and still accomplish their goals – while supporting the needs of their employees.
8. **Customer service**. Managers have multiple customers – both internal and external ones. They need to understand who their customers are, what they want, and how to engage them. This will be critical for effective decision making (#5) and time management (#7).
9. **Stress management**. It’s very difficult – almost impossible – to tell others how to manage their stressors. What we can do is figure out how to manage our own stress and understand how it impacts others. Managers will not be able to perform at a high level if they allow their stress to impact team performance.
10. **Conflict management**. . They should be able to address conflict both in terms of helping others resolve their conflicts AND being willing to defend their position, even if that means disagreeing with their boss or colleagues.
You probably noticed that many of these skills are similar to the ones on the employee list. Totally makes sense. There are skills we expect from every employee regardless of their job title. And with some skills, managers might have an additional responsibility. For example, employees need to have good organizational skills so they can get their work done. Managers need the same … and they need good time management skills to help employees get their work done.
And like the employee list, the skills are very related. If organizations want managers to be effective, they need to help them learn all the skills, not just a handful. In addition, managers need to recognize that these skills will be something they will be working on for a long time. This isn’t a *one-training session and we’ve mastered being a manager* kind of thing.
Organizations place a lot of responsibilities on their managers. They have to. It’s important to clearly state the performance expectations of the role. Employees who want to be promoted into a manager position need to understand the skills they should demonstrate – and why they need to have them. .
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### Comments
1. Tabitha Chee says
   As always, I really appreciate what you share. The above skills are very important, and all the more for managers. Especially in the areas of conflict management and stress management, managers often do not know how, or do not want to deal with these situations. How can we, as HR professionals, encourage learning in these areas?
   Thank you so much, Sharlyn.
   *  says
     Tabitha, thanks for the comment and kind words. We appreciate you!
     Your question is a great one. You’ve given me an idea for a future article!
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Hi! I'm Sharlyn Lauby, an HR pro turned consultant. I created HR Bartender so people would have a friendly place to discuss workplace issues. And since, over the years, I've developed an appreciation for the culinary arts (translation: I'm a foodie) you'll see some of that here, too. So pull up a stool and order your favorite drink... the bar is always open.
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You are here:  /  / 10 Ways to Be Productive During the Last Two Weeks of the Year
74 | December 15, 2024
# 10 Ways to Be Productive During the Last Two Weeks of the Year
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
I’ve noticed that in a few of my recent articles I mentioned projects that might be perfect for the end of the year. So, I thought today might be a good time to expand on the idea and share ways to be productive during the last two weeks of the year.
Before I became a consultant, I often worked during the final two weeks of the year. At first, it was because I had to. My colleagues had more seniority and vacation time. Later, I did it because I wanted to. The final two weeks of the year were quiet. Less email. Fewer meetings. I could catch up and cross off a few things on my “to-do” list. Even now, when I have more flexibility with my schedule, the last two weeks of the year are a great time to do some projects I never seem to find time for.
If you’re looking at your schedule and are unhappy about having to work while your colleagues are taking time off, let me share a few things you can do to prepare for the upcoming year. I realize it’s not the same as taking time off, but the sense of accomplishment could be wonderful. In fact, you might want to consider bookmarking this page and using it as an end-of-the-year checklist.
1. **Clean out your professional contacts**. Sometimes our contact list has people on it with outdated information who haven’t stayed in touch. That digital entry is just taking up space. If you want, reach out and try to connect with those individuals via LinkedIn. Then you will always have their most current contact information.
2. **Update your social media accounts**. Speaking of cleaning up contacts, use this quiet time to unfriend, unfollow, unlike, etc. those accounts and social media platforms that don’t bring value. . While you’re at it, take a moment to update your profile, photo, and contact information. The more accurate and current your profiles are, the more people will want to engage with you.
3. **Delete electronic files that you no longer need**. A word of caution here – please check with your legal counsel and/or technology department before doing this. But my guess is the company’s 1986 dress code policy that is still sitting on someone’s computer could be deleted. Organizing your electronic files will make you more productive.
4. **Organize your reading**. I don’t know about you, but I find that during the year, I add sites to my Feedly reader or my bookmarks only to later discover they’ve been outdated or abandoned. So, it’s good to clean out those electronic newsletters, sites, and blogs to make room for new ones. Hopefully you’ll continue receiving HR Bartender!
5. **Clean and dust your office**. This is another area that I’m guilty of neglecting. Books get dusty. Computer cords get tangled. Take a couple of hours to move stuff and really clean. You’ll be amazed how good it feels (and smells!)
6. **Get your planner ready for the New Year**. While I have a digital calendar, I still like using a paper planner. There are many different styles available, and they can serve multiple functions like planning, goal setting, journaling, etc. . Planning is an important activity that helps us stay focused and accomplish our goals. Find a highly productive system that works for you.
7. **Do a mini-HR audit**. Pull a half dozen personnel files and make sure they look the way they’re supposed to. You can do the same with Form I-9. It’s better to have some sense of how your files look before an official audit. Need an audit checklist? The SHRM Knowledge Center can help you with that – members are able to request information for free!
8. **Talk with employees**. I know that much of what we’ve discussed so far is about cleaning and organizing. ? This is also a great time of year to get out of your office and talk with employees. Find out what’s going on. And if you have team members who will also be working, this could be a great time to schedule an extra one-on-one to wrap up the year and talk about future plans.
9. **Schedule one-on-ones with managers**. Speaking of meetings, use the last two weeks of the year to meet with the managers who are also working. Talk with them about how HR can help and provide value. Plan some strategies together. Relationship building is a huge part of HR’s job. Here’s a great opportunity.
10. **Take a class**. Been trying to find a few hours for ? I know how hard it can be to squeeze more productive time into an already busy schedule. Use the quiet time to listen to a podcast, webinar, and/or take a MOOC (massive open online course).
Oh, one more project. If you’ve been putting off updating your passwords, now could be a good time to get it done. .
While we’d all like to spend the last couple weeks of the year on a tropical paradise, sometimes it’s simply not possible. So, if your plans involve work, use the time to your advantage. You can start the new year ready to be productive and make a huge impact.
Image captured by  while exploring the streets of Boston, MA
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