Checklist of management competencies

Professor Gretchen Spreitzer and her colleagues at the University of Southern California wanted to create a tool to measure the potential of future international executives.

They made a draft questionnaire based on research and interviews with 46 experienced managers. They then tested it with 1100 managers from 21 countries and found 11 key skills that effective managers have, which others might lack (Spreitzer, et al, 1997).

To be a good manager, you need to understand the signals from people in your organisation, know what’s happening in your industry, and see how internal and external events are connected.

This means you need situational awareness – the ability to notice and understand what’s happening around you and predict future changes. However, situational awareness is only as good as your perception, so what you think is happening might not be accurate.

Therefore, another important skill for managers is to see things as they really are, not just as they wish them to be. This requires combining information-gathering skills with perceptive abilities and active sense-making.

In summary, good management is hard. While technical skills are important, being a successful manager is more about how well you connect with and relate to your team.

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References

^{Spreitzer, M., McCall, M. W., & Mahoney, J. D. (1997). Early identification of international executive potential. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82(1), 6-29. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.82.1.6}