Six Skills To Learn Before You Become A Manager

Transitioning into a management position isn’t just about landing the promotion. It’s also about making sure you can handle the role in addition to the associated day to day responsibilities which are frequently quite different from what you’ve already been accustomed to. Managing and leadership skills must be acquired over a period of time. To successfully follow your path to a senior-level position, build your management skills as listed below in order to boost your chances of success.

Becoming Aware of Both Your Strengths & Weaknesses

At higher ranks within a company, it’s helpful to have some previous knowledge regarding your strengths and weaknesses including what makes you work the most efficiently. One consistent way to build on this is to look for feedback from your coworkers and be open to it. 

Make Decisions & Exude Confidence 

As a manager, you have to be willing to make the hard calls, to make complicated decisions and choose a new path forward when necessary. Teaching yourself how to make the least ideal decision based on what you know right now motivates the people around you to move forward. You might be wrong but if you don’t move forward, you can’t gather the information in order to make better decisions in the future. 

Sticking To Time Management Deadlines

When you’re a sole contributor, a lot of your work is reactive and task-based and your scope of work output is fairly defined and limited. As a manager, there often comes a point where you can’t get everything done in a timely manner, so you’ll need to be good at time management and prioritization. This will also be true of your personal life and you’ll have to work hard to establish boundaries around the things that are important to you. 

Knowing How To Delegate

Utilizing the ability to handle your time wisely is going to benefit you immensely in the long run. It will be important personally to know how to do this since you can’t do everything yourself.

Learn How To Develop Strong Written Communication Skills

Now that you’re managing a team of professionals, it is crucial that you’re sensational at communicating about workflow, deadlines and prioritization amongst other things.

Another top management skill is asking questions and being a good listener. Check in with your team to make sure that they understand what you’re telling them and listen intently to their answers. 

Managing Upwards

Filling the role of a successful manager often means that you have got people below you as well as above so you have to be able to wear multiple hats in that sense. Learning how your superior prefers to communicate, how they like to receive news and updates and of course understanding the politics of the office.