Can You Pass the Management Skills Quiz?


Most experts agree that you need a number of basic skills to be a good manager. Leading isn’t enough, you also need to be able to persuade people to follow you. Good communication often tops the list of must-have management skills, but that includes listening as well as giving others direction.

Being an effective manager requires not only good management skills, but the ability to put those skills into use and the confidence to use them wisely. Here’s a short management quiz to test your skills. Are you ready to be a manager? Do you have what it takes?

Answer true or false to each of the following questions, and remember: be honest with yourself.

Communicating

1. I am comfortable making a presentation in front of small or large groups

2. I know how to actively listen

3. I have processes for giving and receiving feedback

Leading

4. I am comfortable influencing others to follow my direction

5. I know when and how to delegate a function

6. I have processes for persuading people when they don’t want to move

Planning

7. I am comfortable creating and implementing strategic plans

8. I know how to create realistic and achievable goals

9. I have processes for measuring and evaluating goals and objectives

Team Building

10. I am comfortable creating and managing teams

11. I know how to break big projects down into a series of smaller, workable steps

12. I have processes for resolving problems and conflicts within teams

Decision Making

13. I am comfortable making decisions

14. I know when to refer a decision higher or to delegate a decision downward

15. I have processes for making small, medium and important decisions

Managing People

16. I am comfortable interviewing people for new jobs or promotions

17. I know how to motivate staff

18. I have processes for properly evaluating and assessing staff

Managing Yourself

19. I am comfortable with assessing my own strengths and weaknesses

20. I know how to manage my own stress, especially at work

21. I have processes for maintaining balance in all parts of my life

 

If you scored 20 or above, your management skills are top notch. Congratulations! Thanks for taking the management quiz and being open to reviewing your performance.

If you scored 15 or more you are definitely management material and likely have at least some managing or supervising experience under your belt. You are on your way to becoming a very good manager.

If you scored 10 to 15 you have some of the prerequisites to become a manager, but you are probably lacking some experience that will lead you to the confidence you need to move up the ladder. Keep at it. You have potential.

If you scored less than ten you are still learning how to be a manager. That’s a good place to start, and now you know some of the skills that you will need in the future to reach that goal. Ask your current manager or supervisor if you can learn some of the missing pieces from them, and watch how they do it. You may learn a lot from them about what works and what doesn’t. Be patient. You can get there!

Sometimes assessing yourself can be challenging, because others may have a different perception of your management skills than you do. If you are serious about pursuing a management position, I would highly recommend that you have others answer these questions about you and compare your answers with theirs. Remember not to be offended if others see you differently than you see yourself. This is about growing and improving, not being right.


Mike Martin is a freelance writer and consultant specializing in workplace wellness and conflict resolution. He is the author of Change the Things You Can (Dealing with Difficult People). For more information about Mike please visit: Change the Things You Can

Discussion

  1. Talent on the 12th October

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts on management skills.

    Regards

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