3 Management Skills: Human, Technical, and Conceptual

What are Management Skills?

Managerial skills or management skills can be defined as the ability of the manager to do his/her work in the best way concerning the organization. It is the manager’s ability to perform a particular task effectively and efficiently. Whenever a manager joins the organization he must have managerial skills from conceptual, human, and technical skills.

Skill is an ability or proficiency to do something within an acceptable standard. Management job is different from other jobs. Management skills are learned and developed.

Managerial performance primarily depends upon performance rather than personality traits. When managers have the necessary management skills, they will probably perform well and be relatively successful in their profession.

On the other hand, if the managers do not have the necessary managerial skills, they will probably perform below the expectations of the organization. Regardless of the levels of management, managers must possess and seek to further develop the necessary skills.

Management skill requires elements of stewardship and promises to the purpose. It entails the duty to make reasonable use of human and material means. It requires sound judgment to handle complex situations.

Further, the character of the task becomes frequently complicated at every higher level because of the rise in the scope of power and obligation. Therefore, each level of management requires increased knowledge, a broader perspective, and greater skills.

The 3 Management Skills

Robert L. Katz has suggested three primary management competencies or skills among managers. They are mentioned below:

• Conceptual Skills
• Human skills
• Technical skills

Technical Skills

Technical skills are the ability and knowledge to use the equipment, techniques, and procedures involved in performing a specific task. It consists of specialized knowledge and the ability to perform within that specialty.

The technical skills of management include:

• Handling machines
• Preparing daily work schedule
• Supervising employees
• Team formation and mobilizing performance appraisal
• Preparing reports
• Motivating employees, etc.

Technical skills are mostly required for operating-level managers since they spend much of their time training subordinates and answering questions on work-related problems.

These management skills are also significant for middle and top-level managers as well. Engineers, doctors, charted accountants, musicians, and production managers need technical skills.

Human Skills

Human skills refer to the ability to work with, understand and motivate other people individually or in a group. It is concerned with understanding people.

Related: Human Relations Theory of Management

Managers with high-grade human skills are capable to produce the best output from their juniors. Because they know how to motivate, communicate, lead, and inspire subordinates.

Human behavior is the most complex aspect of management. Every manager must have good knowledge of communication, motivation, leadership, grievance handling, and conflict management. A manager should have ideas to communicate effectively with followers and immediate superiors.

A manager with ample human skills can lead subordinates and successfully manage the groups and coordinate them effectively.

Managers can acquire human skills through education and training. These management skills are equally important at each level of the organization. Thus, human skills are craved equally by all managers in all organizations for productive and profitable operations.

Conceptual Skills

Conceptual skills refer to the mental ability to analyze and diagnose complex situations. It involves the seeing organization as a whole and understanding how its parts will affect the whole.

Conceptual skills are mostly necessary for top-level management. It assists the managers to imagine the environment, analyzing the forces in a working place, and taking a broad farseeing view of the business.

Managers further need to see for possibilities in the dynamic environment and form strategic plans to realize such possibilities. Every manager must have a clear vision and concept about the policies, planning, and other activities of the organization.

Top-level managers require a high degree of conceptual skills while other-level managers also necessitate enough amounts of conceptual skills.

Read Next: What is Organizational Development (OD)?