11 Important Management Skills (With Examples)

A large part of successful career growth is taking on management responsibilities. Being entrusted with a supervisory role involves using multiple skills to effectively manage a team and projects.

Management skills are qualities that you’ve probably been displaying throughout your employment and will become especially valuable for being a leader.

Key Takeaways:

• Management skills are skills that allow you to effectively organize and direct the actions of a group of people.

• Management skills are made up of a variety of skills including planning, organization, coordination, and adaptability.

• Management skills can be improved by taking a class or finding a mentor.

• Highlight your management skills in your resume through your experience with quantifiable achievements.

• Management skills are important because effective leadership is crucial to workplace success.

What Are Management Skills?

Management skills are the qualities and actions that make you a supervisor who people respect and want to work with. Your job requires both hard skills and soft skills.

Once you’ve made it to the level of manager, you’ve probably mastered the relevant hard skills and the quality of your leadership will be determined by your strengths in various soft skills. Management soft skills are why people follow your direction productively and happily.

11 Important Types of Management Skills

1. Planning ahead. Creating a realistic plan for how to achieve your goals is vital to the success of the company you work for and yourself. It’s how you get where you want to go. Planning ahead is important because things are always subject to change.

   If you prepare a detailed plan ahead of time, adjusting it to accommodate unforeseen circumstances and problems becomes much more doable. This skill is crucial to successful management because you’re not just planning ahead for yourself. You’re planning for a whole team’s success.

   Planning ahead involves:

   • Strong communication

   • Flexibility

   • Decision-making

   • Organization

   • Setting goals

   • Strategy

   • Attention to detail

   • Time-management

   • Prioritization

2. Organization. Organization goes hand-in-hand with planning skills. Being organized on behalf of an entire team requires more than just your average calendar.

   Management requires handling many tasks with many different people on a daily basis. Making sure you know when you’re supposed to be where and with what work completed is essential to leading a team properly.

   Examples of organizational skills include:

   • Creating and meeting deadlines

   • Delegating tasks

   • Multi-tasking

   • Strategic thinking

   • Taking notes

   • Time-management

   • Evaluating post-project

3. Leadership. Effective leadershipis a very important part of keeping a team working together well. Leading is never as simple as telling people what to do.

   It involves a lot of respect and communication to work together towards a common goal. It’s a skill, and like any other skill, it can always be improved upon. Even if it’s your first time in a supervisory position, bringing or improving leadership abilities to management will improve a team’s productivity and work environment.

   Leadership skills involve:

   • Upfront and productive communication

   • Adaptability

   • Honesty

   • Decisiveness

   • Motivating a team

   • Utilizing team members to their full potential

   • Encouragement

   • Giving constructive criticism

   • Persuasion

   • Conflict management

4. Empathy Empathy is a crucial management skill because it helps a manager understand the emotional needs of their team. With empathy, a manager can further their other skills such as communication, adaptability, and feedback. Empathy acts as a binding agent with these other skills to create an effective leader.

   Without empathy, a manager can come across as cold and impersonal. Although this might be fine, as long as the manager is highly competent, in most cases a lack of empathy can lead to tension and insubordination. That being said empathy does not mean a manager needs to be a best friend.

   A manager still needs to make the tough decisions that may upset people. However, if that manager has well developed empathy skills, then the decisions are likely to receive a better response. Furthermore, empathy can guide a manager in their decision making. They will learn to balance the needs of their team with the needs of the company to create a more robust workplace.

   Empathy skills include:

   • Active listening

   • Tact

   • Diplomacy

   • De-escalation

   • Non-violent communication

   • Constructive feedback

   • Growth mindset

   • Mindfulness

5. Coordination. The ability to effectively coordinate with the team you’re managing will make you a better supervisor. Being a leader is about more than just handing out tasks and duties.

   It’s about actively communicating with your team and asking them for their input. A workplace with open discussion allows for creativity and new ideas. Implementing your team’s feedback can improve efficiency and employee satisfaction.

   Examples of coordination skills include:

   • Listening

   • Asking questions when needed

   • Allowing for open and respectful dialogue

   • Teamwork

   • Problem-solving

   • Self-Awareness

   • Managing emotions

   • Negotiation

6. Directing and oversight. Skills in direction and oversight refer to how well you delegate tasks to your team and make sure that all your leadership responsibilities are accomplished. Being a supervisor relies heavily on your directing and oversight skills.

   After all, a big part of a supervisor’s job description is directing work and meeting a deadline. If you don’t have time to master any other skill on this list, spend time on developing this one as a manager.

Directing and oversight involves:

• Creating detailed plans for successful outcomes

• Supplying resources

• Delegating tasks to employers most equipped to accomplish them

• Conflict Management

• Dividing work evenly among a team

• Evaluating work

• Providing feedback employees can apply to their performance

• Overcoming unexpected issues

7. Giving and receiving feedback. Giving and receiving feedback as a team supervisor can really make a difference in work quality and productivity. Giving effective feedback as a leader means acknowledging an employee’s accomplishments and letting them know, professionally and nicely, where they could improve.

   When giving feedback, try to be specific about when they exceeded or didn’t meet expectations.Negative feedbackis meant to encourage and educate your team, not make them feel bad.

   Also, your team should always know that they can come to you with feedback as well. In management positions, it’s important to remember that your team can provide relevant feedback that will help you improve your performance as well.

   Examples of feedback skills include:

   • Strong written and verbal communication

   • Performance management

   • Sincerity

   • Clarity about issues and accomplishments

   • Implementing feedback

   • One-on-one discussion

   • Honesty

   • Respect

   • Following up

8. Adaptability. Being adaptable to the unexpected and turning obstacles into improvements can make you a competitive candidate for leadership positions. Adaptability also refers to the willingness to learn more if needed.

   Adaptable supervisors are motivated by the need to change, as opposed to frustrated and paralyzed by it. This attitude can trickle down to an entire team and get work done despite any circumstances that may come your way.

Adaptability involves:

• Critical thinking

• Cooperation

• Research skills

• Optimism

• Accepting mistakes and addressing issues

• Willingness to learn from others

• Expectation setting and management

• Stress management

• Creativity

• Initiative

More Useful Management Skills

Management styles differ and there are lots of skills that you can incorporate into managing a team.

Some more useful skills for supervisory positions include:

• Active listening

• Strategy

• Building rapport

• Motivation

• Persuasion

• Prioritization

• Networking

• Brainstorming

• Emotional intelligence

• Teaching skills

• Good presentation

• Displaying appreciation for your team

• People management

• Budgeting

How to Improve Your Management Skills

Whether you’re looking to break into your first supervisory position or you’re a seasoned pro, it’s always possible to improve your management skills. If you have a mind for it, it’s one of the best ways to make meaningful contributions to your organization and develop your career.

Here are a few ways that you can start improving your management skills:

• Take a course. With e-learning booming in popularity, there’s never been an easier time to take a class on management. There are plenty of free options out there on sites like edX, Coursera, and Udemy. If you want an official certification, you may need to pay a small fee, but it could prove to be an invaluable line item on your resume.

  You don’t need to sign up for an official course, either. If you’re deliberate and methodical in your learning approach, reading books and watching YouTube tutorials can be just as useful for boosting your managerial abilities.

• Find a mentor. Whatever field you’re in, you regularly encounter managers. Even when you’re outside of work, you might recognize great leadership qualities in friends, family members, or acquaintances. Try to find someone you’re comfortable speaking with about your professional life and see if they’d be willing to mentor you.

  What’s great about a mentor is that they can give you very specific advice for your particular situation. A mentor at your company will be especially useful for helping you navigate the managerial hurdles of your department.

  If you can’t find a mentor, simply start observing the leaders you admire more carefully. Note what traits are vital for their success, and try to emulate the elements of their style that work and feel natural for you.

• Proactively seek feedback. The folks around us are often better at determining our strengths and weaknesses than we are ourselves. Ask your supervisor what you could be doing better or what steps you’d need to take to earn a supervisory role.

  Knowing your strong points is also vital — it’s often a smarter strategy to double down on what you’re good at and delegate elsewhere rather than try to be a jack-of-all-trades.

• Practice leading. No matter what your position is, there are always opportunities to take leadership. Start volunteering to oversee projects, act as a meeting leader, or be the team representative who reports the team’s results.

  If you’re trying to get an internal managerial position, good supervisors should notice this extra effort, and it’ll work to your credit when you apply for a leadership role down the line. But even if you’re trying to land a manager’s position at a new company, all of these examples of stepping up to lead will serve you well.

How to Highlight Your Management Skills During a Job Search

You have three major opportunities to highlight your management skills during a job search:

1. On your resume. You can incorporate your management skills into your resume summary statement, work experience section, and skills section. Try to use the same keywords from the job description throughout your resume — we’re sure that some of the management skills we listed above will be there.

   For your work experience section, be sure to do more than simply list your job responsibilities. Provide examples of major accomplishments, and use numbers whenever possible. Managerial roles are results-driven, so make sure that all the great results you’ve achieved are on full display and easy to understand.

   You can also mention projects you led, awards you’ve received for leadership, and different management hard and soft skills in your resume.

2. In your cover letter. Your resume answers the “what, where, when” questions; it’s up to your cover letter to answer the “how” and “why.” Your cover letter is your chance to show your management style, your thought process and approach to leadership, and your underlying motivations for leading teams.

   Like your resume, you should pay attention to keywords from the job description and tailor your cover letter to the specific position. Go into detail about one or two major accomplishments that you owe to your managerial skills and make it easier for the hiring manager or recruiter to recognize your direct impact on the project’s success.

3. During your interview. Interviews for managerial positions will consist of many behavioral interview questions. These are questions about your past behavior in various situations. The best way to answer these questions is to use the STAR method.

   STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result, and it’s a great way to organize short but powerful stories. To prepare for your managerial interview, come up with various examples of your leadership skills in action. The more stories you have, the more prepared you’ll be.

Example Resumes Highlighting Management Skills

1. Management Resume Example #1

   Finnegan Bennett

   117 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90404 (662)-280-0092 FinneganBennett@gmail.com

   Motivated and organized business manager with 5+ years of experience in a fast-paced office environment. Possess a B.A. in Business Administration with honors. Strong skills in problem-solving and team relations.

   Professional Experience

   Linebrook Printing Company, Los Angeles, CA

   Office supervisor, September 2017 — Present

   • Managed a total of 6 office workers

   • Promoted company success

   • Interact with customers daily

   • Organize meetings

   • Maintain office schedule

   • Hired new employees

   • Provided feedback

   Observation Media, Los Angeles, CA

   Office Manager, June 2015 — August 2017

   • Planned five long-term video marketing projects

   • Managed a marketing team of 4

   • Set goals and deadlines

   • Trained employees

   • Conducted payroll

   • Managed office schedule

   • Given a $10,000/yr raise after the first year

   Skills

   • Email Marketing

   • Payroll and Scheduling

   • Flexibility

   • Determination

   • Strong Communication

   • Customer service

   • Organization

   Education

   University of San Diego, San Diego, CA
   B.A. in Business Administration, May 2015

   • Graduated with honors

2. Management Resume Example #2

   Bethany Mattice

   Office Manager
   Salt Lake City, UT 99245 | 845.456.9244 | b.mattice@email.com

   Skills

   • Google Analytics

   • Google Suites

   • Quickbooks

   • Professional

   • Respectfulness

   • Giving Strong Feedback

   • Leadership abilities

   Experience

   New Life Brand Management | Office Manager

   JULY 2014 – PRESENT, Salt Lake City, UT

   • Oversaw a team of 10 social media staff and office associates

   • Provided Resources for employees

   • Hiring responsibilities

   • Delegation

   • Organization

   • Created yearly employee evaluations

   • Promoted from associate position

   • Awarded a yearly bonus

   RR Digital Marketing | Marketing Supervisor

   DECEMBER 2010 – JUNE 2014, Salt Lake City, UT

   • Developed project strategy that increased sales by 4%

   • Trained new employees

   • Aided in email marketing

   • Developed schedule

   • Direct client contact

   • Promoted from marketing specialist after the second year

   Education

   Lancaster Academy, Online program
   Business Management Certification
   Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
   B.A. in Sociology with minor in Public Relations

3. Management Resume Example #3

   Matthew Moore

   Chicago, IL, 30279 | (919)-388-2939 | MatthewMoore@email.com | LinkedIn.com/in/MatthewMoore

   SKILLS

   Matthew Moore

4. Music Industry Knowledge

5. Talent Management

6. Presentation

7. Writing

8. Email and Verbal Communication

9. Rapport

10. Leading a team

11. Critical thinking

12. Creativity

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Blue Moons Records, Chicago, IL
Talent Agent Supervisor

January 2017 – PRESENT

• Managed 5 clients

• Directed a team of 3 talent agents

• Maintained administrative schedule

• Created strategies for growth and advancement

• Scouted for new talent

• Promoted from talent agent after the first year

• Awarded promotional salary increase of $15,000/yr

Play by Play Studios, Brooklyn, NY
Marketing Manager

January 2014 – December 2016

• Designed marketing strategies to target age demographic 18-30

• Managed a team of 6 professional marketing specialists

• Planned projects to foster company success

• Kept records

• Conducted employee evaluations

• Awarded two annual promotions

Down the Road Music Management, Brooklyn, NY
Marketing Associate

June 2010-December 2014

• Organized marketing campaigns

• Participated in the creation marketing projects that brought in 15 new clients

• Set up meetings

• Created weekly schedule

• Promoted to Lead Marketing Specialist after the second year

• Awarded with an annual salary increase of $8,000 following promotion

EDUCATION

The University of Chicago
B.A. in Music Marketing

September 2006-May 2010

Author

Sky Ariella

Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.