We spoke once before about how, as a manager, you need to have strong technical skills in order to understand and monitor the jobs of your subordinates.

There is, however, another good reason to make sure you brush up on your technical skills. While no one wants to think about it, there is always a possibility that you may lose your management position.

What if your company decided to downsize? In some cases, a company will attempt to move a person whose position has been eliminated into a new one. What if that meant moving down a notch on the corporate scale? What if the only thing holding you back was the fact that you weren’t qualified because you never properly trained on the systems used by your organisation?

It’s time to evaluate your technical skills. Take a moment and make a list of all of the programs and machines used within your company. Be sure to include the basics, such as word processing and spreadsheet creation programs, as well as email applications. Can you effectively navigate your client or project database system?

If you answered NO to any of these questions, it’s time to get some additional technical skill training. I don’t want to hear that you just don’t have enough hours in the day. Learning the programs you really should already know could mean the difference between keeping your job and having to find a new one.

Is that a risk you’re willing to take?

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

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Today I want to spend a little bit of time discussing the first managerial skill on yesterday’s list: technical skills. While it may not seem important to some, a lack of technical skill will result in ineffective results when it comes to completing your own day to day tasks while at the same time guiding your team. The juggling act will eventually become unbearable!

Technical skills include simple things such as the ability to properly operate a computer, efficiently use the various software programs that are required in your particular environment, and handle other electronic gadgets that may pertain to your job function. These skills are especially important for lower level managers, as they are often responsible for training their subordinates.

Technical skills are essential to effective leadership. Besides, if you don’t know how to effectively complete a task, how can you rightfully judge others when it comes time for review? You’ll have no way of knowing whether or not your team members are completing their jobs properly, opening up the possibility for a future disaster.

A friend of mine approached me recently with a story about the president of the company she works for. He has spend thousands of pounds implementing systems that would allow for front-end scanning and a more efficient work flow, eliminating the need for paper files. The problem? He doesn’t know how to use them himself and is constantly asking his employees to print documents for his review.

In my opinion, this particular business owner has two problems. First, he is setting a horrible example for his employees. “Do as I say and not as I do,” is a terrible business philosophy. His refusal to learn about the systems he has pushed to implement will leave his subordinates questioning his knowledge, skill, and authority.

Second, he is setting himself up for failure. If, at some point, his direct reports become ill or quit, he will have no idea how to even begin accessing all of the valuable information that has been electronically stored within his operating systems. He’ll then have to delegate these tasks to others in order to find information, which will further burden his already struggling team.

In this example, the individual in question is actually a member of upper management. While lower level managers have the most technical responsibility, there is no excuse for middle or upper management to go without proper training as well.

Remember, managers who set positive examples often get the best results!

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training