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.
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