A Basic Business Reader Chapter 5 Managerial Skills and Managers

Motto u If youth be a defect, it is one that we outgrow only too soon. u 假如青春也是一种缺憾，那就是它逝去 得太快

Objectives After studying this chapter you will be able to: u Identify the three styles of leadership. u Describe the skills managers need in order to be successful. u Describe how organizations acquire managers. u Discuss some effective ways of achieving good communication within an organization.

Leadership and styles of leadership Leadership is the ability to influence employees to work toward the achievement of organizational goals. Three basic styles of leadership: - autocratic - democratic - free-rein

Autocratic leaders u Making all the decisions; u Directing and commanding subordinates; u Dogmatic and task-oriented; u Total disregard for what employees might think; u Effective when employees are unskilled or unmotivated.

Democratic leaders u Paying attention to opinions and ideas from staff. u Making decisions together with subordinates; u More open, cooperative, and supportive than autocratic leaders; u Effective when employees are skilled and motivated.

Free-rein leaders u Letting their employees work without much interference; u Showing a great deal of trust and confidence in the employees; u Effective when employees are highly skilled and fully motivated to achieve their goals.

Managerial skills 1. Managers need technical skills to - perform a job; - communicate effectively with subordinates and superiors; - gain credibility.

Managerial skills 2. Conceptual skills are necessary for managers to - think in abstract terms; - see how parts form the whole; - promote creative thinking; - develop a long-term perspective.

Managerial skills 3. Human skills, also referred to as people skills or human relation skills, are needed to - get along well with people; - deal with people effectively; - generate confidence and commitment; - create a sound work environment.

Managerial skills Top managers Middle managers First-line managers Technical skills ▲★★ Conceptual skills ★▲▲ Human skills ▲★★ ★ : most needed ; ▲ : needed

Where do managers come from? 1. Promoting from within Advantages: - increasing motivation - building company loyalty - new managers familiar with the company Disadvantages: - few or no new ideas - making innovations difficult

Where do managers come from? 2. Hiring from without Advantages: - bringing fresh ideas - promoting innovation Disadvantages: - difficult to find suitable people - internal resentment

Better management communication Guidelines for managers to communicate better 1. Communicate your overall purpose. 2. Communicate your expectation. 3. Provide feedback on performance. 4. Communicate all changes. 5. Communicate face to face. (See page 51)

Workshop Presentation work 1. Create situations to illustrate effective use of different styles of leadership. 2. If you were the head of a department, how would you communicate with those above you (your superiors) and those under you (your subordinates)?