The role of a business manager is to oversee the day-to-day operations of a company, supervise and guide company employees, and ensure that the business runs effectively, efficiently and profitably.
This may include designing and implementing a new business strategy and working with other senior management, to determine how the current business strategy can be improved. Working in such varied roles requires a wide range of skills. In this article, we will discuss the top business manager skills required for a career in management, and give advice on how to improve them.
A business manager’s skill set requires to include aptitude in many key areas.
Communication
When you act as a business manager over a human resources team, you need the best communication skills to work effectively with your team. In addition to having strong verbal skills, which allow you to express yourself and your expectations, you also need to have listening skills. When conflicts arise between your team, you need to be able to listen well and ask good questions, so you understand what’s going on, and resolve issues. In addition, you must also be prepared and professional, so that you can communicate effectively with upper management and keep them informed of your team’s progress; and to receive, understand and properly carry out any instructions you receive from them.
Planning
As a business manager, you often receive a mandate about the company’s goals and vision, and design specific plans to meet those goals. You must have an education in business administration, so that you know the theory of how best to guide a business. You need a broad knowledge of how your business works, so that you can create a plan that drives your specific business, towards success in the required area. This task also requires the ability to project the expected results of the plan you are considering implementing, so that you can choose the one alternative that is most likely to result in success.
Motivation
Business managers work a lot with people, so motivation is a key skill to get the most out of a team. You must be charismatic and respected by those who work under you. You need to know your team, so you can give each individual the motivation they need to do their best work.
Apart from motivating individuals, your job is also to create good relationships among your team, and encourage employees to collaborate with each other, and support each other in the work you do together. In the midst of a stressful situation, you need to stay calm, and take steps to get your team moving in the right direction again.
Decision-Making
Business managers make many decisions every day, from small ones, to game-changing choices that drive business progress. You must be skilled at evaluating options, within the scope of the big picture. U.S. Small Business Administration recommends defining the problem, making a list of alternatives, visualizing the results for each option, and selecting the one that is most likely to successfully solve your problem.
