Thought-Leadership
Managing diversity in the workplace is a skill that all managers need but some lack.
Diversity is when a group or organization is comprised of individuals who possess unique traits that make them different from one another. A diverse organization doesn’t just recognize differences, it embraces them. These varying traits can be visible, such as age, ethnicity or gender, but they can also be more subtle differences such as education, religion, political beliefs, skills, background and more.
Managers are a vital component of any organization under whose leadership teams produce quality output and meet organizational goals. In a previous article, we covered what skills are essential to become an effective manager, from leadership to conflict resolution.
Developing managerial skills today will provide you with better opportunities for career advancement within your organization. A study on the most in-demand skills amongst the top Fortune 500 companies reveals that managerial skills are the most sought-after skills in a candidate.
Productive employees are the lifeblood of an organization and determine whether an organization prospers or fails. However, it can be easy for employees to fall into the busyness trap wherein hard work ultimately ends up being unproductive due to a lack of focus.
Thus, productivity improvement should be on the priority list of any manager, but that may be easier said than done. After all, only 15% of employees worldwide are actually engaged with their work. Leaders need to be proactive in dealing with an unengaged and underperforming workforce to keep the organization thriving.
Managers are often both coach and mentor. They should remain accessible to their direct reports, all while being able to fulfill his/her own duties to the organization. While this scenario can become overwhelming for some managers, you can prepare and equip your management team with the right skills and work behavior to meet the challenges head on.
Managers carry a wide range of responsibilities across an organization: they are tasked with directly supervising or leading the team, and serving as the middlemen between employees and senior management. And no matter what line of work, specialty, or department they fall on, being a manager requires a certain set of skills to manage people and balance many differing agendas.
For employees eyeing a management position, they need to be able to understand the basic skills and exhibit the right temperament to match the responsibilities required for such a demanding role. Think you have what it takes to be a manager? Here are the five skills you need to demonstrate to land that management role:
