Developing Management Skills, 10th Edition By David Whetten, Kim Cameron | [eBook] [PDF]

Developing Management Skills, 10th Edition By David Whetten, Kim Cameron | [eBook] [PDF] INTRODUCTION 7 What Are Management Skills? There are several defining characteristics of management skills that differentiate t ...

Developing Management Skills, 10th Edition By David Whetten, Kim Cameron | [eBook] [PDF] INTRODUCTION 7 What Are Management Skills? There are several defining characteristics of management skills that differentiate them from other kinds of characteristics and practices. First, management skills are behavioral. They are not personality attributes or stylistic tendencies. Management skills consist of actions that lead to positive outcomes. Skills can be observed by others, unlike attributes that are purely attitudinal, stylistic, or embedded in personality. Second, management skills are controllable. The performance of these behaviors is under your own control. Skills may involve other people and require cognitive work, but they are behaviors that you can govern yourself. Third, management skills are developable. Performance can improve. Unlike IQ or certain personality or temperament attributes that remain relatively constant throughout life, you can improve your competency in skill performance through practice and feedback. You can progress from less competence to more competence in management skills, and that outcome is the primary objective of this book. Fourth, management skills are interrelated and overlapping. It is difficult to demonstrate just one skill in isolation from others. Skills are not simplistic, repetitive behaviors; rather, they are integrated sets of complex responses. Improving one management skill will help you improve others. Fifth, management skills are sometimes contradictory or paradoxical. For example, the core management skills are neither all soft and humanistic nor all hard-driving and directive. They are not exclusively oriented toward teamwork and interpersonal relations, nor are they exclusively oriented toward individualism and solitary decision-making. A variety of skills are typical of the most effective managers, and some of them may appear incompatible. To illustrate, Cameron and Tschirhart (1988) assessed the skill performance of more than 500 midlevel and upper-middle managers in about 150 organizations. The 25 most frequently mentioned management skills, taken from about a dozen studies in the academic literature (such as those in Table 2), were measured. Statistical analyses revealed that the skills fell into four main groups, or clusters. One group of skills focused on participative and human relations skills (for example, supportive communication and team building), while another group focused on just the opposite; that is, competitiveness and control (for example, assertiveness, power, and influence skills). A third group focused on innovativeness and individual entrepreneurship (for example, creative problem-solving), Table 2 A Model for Developing Management Skills Components Contents Objectives 1. Skill assessment Survey instruments Role-plays Assess current level of skill competence and knowledge; create readiness to change. 2. Skill learning Written text Behavioral guidelines Teach validated principles and present a rationale for behavioral guidelines. 3. Skill analysis Cases Provide examples of appropriate and inappropriate skill performance. Analyze behavioral principles and reasons they work. 4. Skill practice Exercises Simulations Role-plays Practice behavioral guidelines. Adapt principles to personal style. Receive feedback and assistance. 5. Skill application Assignments (behavioral and written) Transfer classroom learning to real-life situations. Foster ongoing personal development.