The skills you need to become an effective business manager
The skills you need to become an effective business manager
If you’re looking for a career that is both challenging and rewarding, then business management might be the perfect choice for you. Business managers are responsible for overseeing all aspects of a company, from financial planning and human resources to marketing and product development. To excel in this role, you need to possess a vast array of essential skills as well as business acumen. In this article, we will discuss the key management skills that every business manager should aim to have, and why they are important in the business world.
Communication Skills
One of the most important skills that a business manager can have is the ability to communicate effectively with other people. This includes being able to listen to others, as well as articulate your own thoughts and ideas clearly. Good communication can make or break any relationship — personal or business. An essential skill in building relationships with clients, customers, and employees, business managers should focus on developing skills including
- Accurate Questioning
- Active Listening
- Difficult Conversation Navigation
- Understandings Of Different Work Styles
- Communication Clarity
Decision-making Skills
Another key skill that all business management professionals should possess is the ability to make decisions and draw actionable conclusions swiftly. This includes being able to weigh up different options and come up with the best decision for the company based on available information. Good decision-making skills are essential for ensuring that an organisation or team runs smoothly and efficiently. Some major types of decision-making that an individual may come across in a business management career include
- Strategic Decisions
- Routine Decisions
- Policy Decisions
- Organisational Operation Decisions
- Human Resources Decisions
- and so much more
Task Delegation Skills
The ability to delegate tasks is another skill that aspiring business managers should be brushing up on. This involves being able to assign tasks to other people, based on their skills and abilities. In fact, this is one of the major job responsibilities in a business management career. As the person to build the team up, the business manager’s responsibility is to organise and evaluate every task before passing it to the right hand. Business managers are also the ones who should know all team members’ skills and tasks inside-out enough to make these important decisions. Excellent task delegation and prioritising skills are the keys to ensuring that work is completed efficiently and effectively.
Time Management Skills
The sense to adhere to set timelines and schedules is a must-have skill for business managers. Mastering time management goes way beyond making to-do lists but involves the capability to prioritise tasks, get laser-focused on significant tasks and stick with deadlines to manage team members’ time effectively. As a successful business manager, it is vital to knock up key duties to set up team members’ productivity and spirit with proper time management skills.
Strategic Thinking
Thinking strategically involves seeing the big picture, anticipating potential problems, and planning ahead of time with swift execution. Good business managers are the ones to see information through the lens of the past, present, and future, as well as different team members, to come up with solutions that help achieve both short-term and long-term goals. They should have the ability to pivot when an action is not providing the intended results by identifying patterns and drawing insights out of overarching trends.
Adaptivity
Last but not least, business managers should have another important skill: the ability to adapt to change. In business, change is inevitable. Knowing how to navigate through changes and unexpected circumstances is the secret behind building a resilient team that works efficiently while facing whatever obstacles. Good business managers should be able to adjust quickly to new situations and changes in the market. This is the only way a company can retain the competitive edge and stay relevant in today’s constantly changing world.
If you’re looking to pursue a career in the business management field, be sure to highlight these skills mentioned above on your resume and in your cover letter. Easier said than done, most business management skills actually require hands-on experience and education to be nurtured. If you wish to headstart on a business management career with quality hesitation, look no further than Sunderland.
As one of the UK’s premier tertiary education institutions, our business and management honours degree and courses in Hong Kong equip you with all the skills you need to know to be well-prepared for an ever-growing, yet challenging, industry like business management.
Should you have questions about our BA Hons business management course, do not hesitate to contact us.
