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Management skills are crucial to business operations and can make or break a company’s success. A talented manager is able to lead a project and delegate tasks while being a good collaborator and providing feedback efficiently.

If you’re applying for a manager role, your job application should reflect your capabilities. In this article, we break down the top management skills examples and how to showcase them in your resume, cover letter and interview.

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What Are Management Skills?

Management skills are a set of goal-oriented and results-driven abilities needed to lead effectively. These skills help managers guide, delegate, organize, budget, plan and problem-solve.

A manager must have character traits like emotional intelligence, confidence and sound decision-making to oversee, communicate with and motivate a team effectively. Good management skills drive the company’s vision and culture forward while developing the team’s maximum potential.

Top Management Skills Examples

Management skills help shape an organization’s culture and play a vital role in teams’ productivity. Here’s a list of top management skills to add to your resume.

Communication

Most managers are expected to give constructive criticism to their team members. Good communication skills ensure the message is conveyed effectively.

Communication skills include:

  • Active listening
  • Nonverbal cues
  • Writing
  • Clarity
  • Conciseness

Analytical thinking

Applying analytical skills to develop systematic solutions can ultimately improve productivity and performance. It also aids in conflict resolution and strategy development.

Analytical skills include:

  • Trial and error
  • Observation
  • Research
  • Problem-solving
  • Attention to detail

Team management

Team management skills aid in encouraging, guiding and empowering a team. A talented team manager leads to organizational success by building trust, developing the company’s culture and strengthening the workflow.

Team management skills include:

  • Empathy
  • Patience
  • Conflict resolution
  • Collaboration
  • Accountability

Leadership

Effective leadership skills require openness to feedback, clarity of speech and the ability to negotiate and motivate.

Leadership skills include:

  • Negotiation
  • Conflict resolution
  • Decision making
  • Dependability
  • Accountability

Delegation

Delegation is the transfer of responsibility from one person to another; it empowers employees to develop new skills and builds trust and confidence. When you delegate tasks, you create an organizational flow for which you are responsible.

Delegation skills include:

  • Time management
  • Interpersonal communication
  • Accountability
  • Problem-solving
  • Logistics

Time management

Time management is knowing how to plan and decide which tasks are the most urgent. Good time management skills maximize productivity efforts in a shorter period.

Time management skills include:

  • Goal setting
  • Prioritization
  • Scheduling
  • Multitasking
  • Organization

Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence requires managing one’s feelings and validating other’s emotions. Being emotionally intelligent can significantly improve your overall management skills.

Emotional intelligence skills include:

  • Self-awareness
  • Self-regulation
  • Empathy
  • Motivation
  • Active listening

Transparency

Being proactive, honest and straightforward by involving your team in the department’s goals and concerns builds trust. Employees want to be a part of a workplace culture that prioritizes delivering the truth, so transparency is a powerful trust-building tool.

Transparency skills include:

  • Interpersonal communication
  • Empathy
  • Honesty
  • Dependability
  • Accountability

Conflict management

Conflict is inevitable. Managing conflict means handling disputes constructively and effectively to reach a satisfactory resolution for all parties involved.

Conflict management skills include:

  • Empathy
  • Positive attitude
  • Problem-solving
  • Patience
  • Assertiveness

Negotiation

Negotiation involves two or more people working together to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. Being able to negotiate is a key interpersonal skill to have.

Negotiation skills include:

  • Expectation management
  • Patience
  • Adaptability
  • Persuasion
  • Collaboration

Strategic thinking

Strategic thinking helps develop innovative ways to keep the company growing and competitive to accomplish business objectives, overcome obstacles and address challenges.

Strategic thinking skills include:

  • Task prioritization
  • Organization
  • Goal setting
  • Budgeting
  • Logistics

Project management

Honing your project management skills ensures you can guide your team through the development and execution of a project.

Project management skills include:

  • Leadership
  • Organization
  • Communication
  • Time management
  • Risk management

12 Additional Management Skills

Management skills are essential in every industry. Consider adding these extra skills to your resume.

  • Planning
  • Goal setting
  • Problem-solving
  • Active listening
  • Collaboration
  • Attention to detail
  • Accountability
  • Risk management
  • Budgeting
  • Prioritization
  • Public speaking
  • Logistics
Technical skills

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Management Skills FAQ

How to list management skills on a resume?

The skills section on your resume lets the recruiter assess your top qualifications at a glance. To grab the attention of the recruiter, build a targeted skills list.

Review the job description carefully. You will notice that the requirements in the job post list keywords that you must add throughout your resume. Make sure to include a mix of six to eight soft, hard and technical skills.

Additionally, you can list your management skills in your work experience section. To impress the recruiters, include accomplishments and responsibilities related to those skills.

How to describe management skills on a cover letter?

When writing cover letters for a management position, you’ll want to detail your management skills and experience to help differentiate you from competing candidates. Use one or two paragraphs to connect your accomplishments to the position, focusing on your leadership abilities and managerial roles.

Quantify your achievements in a way that speaks directly to the employer’s needs. To accomplish this, describe your work experience by providing your achievements with data or numbers.

How do I highlight my management skills during an interview?

Because your interviewer will most likely have management experience themselves, take the time to plan and prepare. Be ready to provide compelling examples of how you applied your management skills to your work experience by using measurable accomplishments. This will show the hiring manager that you are results-driven!

How to improve management skills?

Strong leaders must continuously look for ways to sharpen their skill sets. We’ve compiled the top four actionable tips to improve your management skills:

  1. Know your team.

    Learn their different strengths, skills and motivations. By knowing certain character traits of each person in your team, you can use their strengths and abilities to help them be more efficient, creative and productive. This fosters a better work environment and builds trust.

  2. Improve communication.

    Open communication between employees achieves an overall better understanding. Employees feel less stressed and under pressure when they can engage with their leaders regularly. When communicating your goals, create a structured environment and clear objectives to work toward. Also, establishing why something needs to be done, instead of just how and when, allows for better creativity and initiative.

  3. Motivate.

    Be a hands-on coach by directly helping your staff develop the skills that will help them increase efficiency and improve productivity. Provide plenty of feedback and encouragement by explaining how their role impacts the company’s goals.

  4. Be a student.

    Consider taking the Leading People and Teams Specialization online course from the University of Michigan to learn proven management techniques.

*The names and logos of the companies referred to above are all trademarks of their respective holders. Unless specifically stated otherwise, such references are not intended to imply any affiliation or association with JobHero.