Managers need three main skill sets to successfully perform their duties. The first set are technical skills in the part of the business the manager works within. These technical skills will related to specific aspects of the business - examples are research and development, engineering, production, logistics, marketing, sales, public relations, finance or human resources. The second are organisational skills, ensuring that business matters are dealt with effectively and efficiently. Managers make things happen. They drive the business forward as part of an agreed plan. Managers are required to identify alternatives and make decisions that are in the best interests of the organisation. The third set are the interpersonal skills required to deal with different people in the most appropriate way. In any organisation, and in any situation, the balance of use of these skills will differ. Similarly, the balance will change dependent on the size, structure and type of organisation and the seniority of the manager. For junior managers, excellent technical skills will be required, with them being subject matter experts who are probably capable of doing the job of the people they are managing. The most senior managers, whilst having strong technical skills, particularly in one aspect of the business, require higher levels of organisational skills, covering the breadth of the organisation. Whilst all mangers need to have good interpersonal skills, for managers who have large teams working for them, interpersonal skills must be sharper than other managers. Every employee is different. They have different needs and must be treated as individuals. Similarly, there are legislative requirements that managers must abide by. Employees have to be treated with dignity and sensitivity. In small organisations, the manager will need to be the master of many tasks and will need a very broad set of technical skills, simply because, whilst the tasks are the same as those in larger organisations, there will be less people to do jobs. In very large, very complex organisations, with high number of employees, tasks will be defined in a more structured way, meaning the breadth of each task will be narrower. This will impact on the balance of skill sets needed by managers in these organisations.
