As a manager, it has never been enough to be technically adept. You have to excel at soft skills as well. Soft skills are the personality traits, attitudes, habits, and behaviors you display when working with others. While good soft skills are also important for employees, they are critical for managers - and for those who want to be managers. Here are the ten most important soft skills managers need to master.
Top Soft Skills For Managers: * Dependability
Can you be depended on to be where you need to be, to do what needs to be done, to do what you say you will? Your boss must be able to depend on you or you will not get ahead. It is equally important that your peers and your subordinates believe they can depend on you too. Without that, they will not give you the support you need if you are going to be successful.
* Candor
Tell it like it is. Don't sugar coat things. Don't say what you think the boss wants to hear. I respect people, above and below me, who are candid. I don't have to waste time figuring out what they really mean.
* Work Ethic
You were hired to do a job. Do you do it or do you sit back and watch others work? Are you the hardest working person in your group? If not, you ought to be.
* Communication Skill
How well do you communicate with your boss, your peers, your subordinates? Are you able to communicate as well in writing as you are verbally? If you have any weakness in this area you need to work to improve or to eliminate it.
* Community and Teamwork
A lot has been written about the need to demonstrate your ability to work well with the other members of your team. It is a skill that is becoming more important as we move toward more cross-functional teams. But it is also important that a manager build community. Don't just be part of your team, but understand how it fits in the larger organization and work to strengthen those connections.
* Time Management Skills
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