Features and Skills of Effective Management

Match the following definitions for the features of effective business management:

• Controlling

• influencing / motivating people to achieve the plan

• Leading

• determining a course of action

• Planning

• arranging resources to achieve the plan

• Organising

• comparing plans to actual events

A manager who lacks empathy, is arrogant, opinionated, unable to communicate or who has difficulty relating to people will not be able to develop positive relationships with stakeholders.

What does this manager lack?

• Communication Skills

• Interpersonal (people) skills

• Strategic Thinking Skills

• Problem solving skills

Answer explanation

Managers need to be able to work and communicate with other people to understand their needs. They need people skills in order to motivate, lead and inspire. Someone who does not have interpersonal skills (understanding needs), will be unable to develop positive relationships.

Reorder the following problem solving / decision-making process:

• Choose the alternatives and implement it and evaluate the solution

• Analyse the alternatives

• Develop alternative solutions

• Identify the problem and causes

• Gather relevant information

Scenario:

Management has made a decision to cut their customer service call center opening hours from 7:00AM to 7:00PM to 8:00AM to 5:00PM.

What stakeholders in business will be impacted by this change? Why?

Stakeholders: suppliers, society/general public, environment, lenders, employees, management, customers and business owners.

Scenario:

Management has decided to implement new technology, which will reduce carbon emissions. It is expensive and may lead to some redundancies/retrenchment/job losses.

What stakeholders in business will be impacted by this change? Why?

Stakeholders: suppliers, society/general public, environment, lenders, employees, management, customers and business owners.