What Makes an Effective Manager?

Introduction

Robbins (1997) defines managers as those who are all oversee the activities of other people with the purpose of accomplishing organizational goals. Therefore, in order to provide organizations with the best outcome, effective managers are urgently needed for modern organization. This is simply because, according to Hunsaker (2001), that the increasing recognition is given to the importance of having managers with strong interpersonal skills rather than, that twenty years ago, managers were only valued primarily for their technical know-how.

There is an endless list of skills that the managers should have in order to be effective, but the 4 basic skills that discussed by Robbins and Decenzo in their book are conceptual skills, interpersonal skills, technical skills (Katz 1974), and political skills (Pavett, Lau 1983). These skills will be discussed later in this essay together with their importance. Based on the above researches, a conclusion will be remarked in the end of the essay.

Main body

"There seems to be overall agreement that effective managers must be effective in conceptual, interpersonal, technical, and political skills."(Robbins&Decenzo, 2003).

Conceptual skills:

As discussed by Rubbins, "conceptual skills refer to the mental ability to analyze and diagnose complex situation. They help managers see how things fit together and facilitate making good decisions." When quick decisions have to be made at a certain point during the production, different production managers could make right, wrong or helpless decisions. "Whenever choices exist there is potential for disagreement. Such differences, when handled properly, can result in richer, more effective, creative solutions..." (Billkopt 200...

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...enson Ltd, 1984), P91.

 Daniel B. Griffith, `Becoming an effective manager', HR Update: Human Resources Administration, (IUPUI, 2004)

 Gerard M Blair, `Basic Management Skills', IEE Engineering Management Journal.

 Gregorio Billikopf, Cultivating personnel productivity: conflict management skills (California: University of California,2003)

 John P. Kotter, The general managers (The Free Press, A division of Macmillan Publishing Co.,Inc, 1982 )

 Phillip L.Hunsaker, Training in Management skills (USA: Prentice-Hall, 2001)

 Richard E.Boyatzis, The competent manager: A model for effective performance (John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1982), PP.190-191

 Stephen P. Robbins and David A.Decenzo, Fundamentals of management: essential concepts and applications (USA: pearson prentice hall, 2003), PP.13-14.