·         The skills approach emphasizes the capabilities of the leader.

 

·         The advantage of this approach is anyone can become an effective leader.

 

·         Similar to the trait approach, the skills approach takes a leader-centered approach except that it focuses on the skills and abilities instead of the "Personality" traits which are usually innate.

 

·         The original research came from the "Skills of an effective administrator" Harvard Business Review published in 1955 by Robert Katz.

 

·         A multitude of researched was done in the 1990's by Mumford, Zaccaro, Harding, Jacobs & Fleishman.

 

·         Katz identified 3 basic skills based on his observation of executives in the workplace. Katz emphasized that the skills tell "What leaders can accomplish" as opposed to trait which emphasized "Who leaders are". The skills approach theorizes that leaders can be developed and trained.

 

·               Technical

 

·         Having knowledge and being proficient in a specific type of work or activity.

 

·         Technical skills is not important at lower levels of management and less important at higher levels.

 

·         Ability to work with things.

 

·               Human

 

·         Ability to work with people.

 

·         Being aware of one's own perspective on issues and at the same time being aware of others perspectives.

 

·         Leaders adapt their own ideas with those of others.ility Model"

 

·         Create an atmosphere of trust where employees can feel comfortable, secure, encouraged to be involved in planning the things that affect them.

 

·               Conceptual

 

·         Ability to work with ideas and concepts.

 

·         Works easily with abstractions and hypothetical situations.

 

·         Creating visions, strategic plans.

Management skill is the ability to carry out the process of reaching organization goals by working with and through people and other organizational resources.

Learning about management skill and focusing on developing it are of critical importance since posessing such skill is generally considered to be the prerequisite for management success.

Katz indicates that 3 types of skills are important for successful management performance: technical, human and conceptual skills.

Technical skills are skills involving the ability to apply specialized knowledge and expertise to work related techniques and procedures.

Examples of these skills are engineering, computer programming, and accounting. Technical skills are mostly relaed to working with "things" - processes or physical objects.

HUMAN SKILLS:

Human skills are skill that build cooperation with the team being led. They involve working with attitudes and communication, individual and group interests - in short, working with people.

CONCEPTUAL SKILLS:

Conceptual Skills involve the ability to see the organization as a whole. A manager with conceptual skills is able to understand how various functions of the organization complement one another, how the organization relates to its environment, and how changes in one part of the organization affect the rest of the organization.

As a manager grows, the need for conceptual skills increases.

Human skills are required at all levels.

What follows are ten of the most important distinctions to note. Regardless of which role you currently play, understanding these key differences between leading and managing may help you become better at your job:

A leader must set direction and inspire people to follow them. The process of following often requires great change. This is where strong management comes in. It's the manager's job to oversee the work needed to implement the necessary changes and realize the organizational transformation set forth by the leadership.

A leader needs to envision what the business is to become. A great manager must have the willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve the goals set forth by the leader.

A great leader can cultivate their imagination to inform their vision. It helps them to "see" what can be. Managers must understand that vision and drive their teams to do the specific work necessary to accomplish what has been expressed.

By definition, abstract thinking enables a person to make connections among, and see patterns within, seemingly unrelated information. The ability to think abstractly comes in very handy when reimaging what an organization can become. Conversely, a manager must be able to work with, and analyze, concrete data in order to ensure optimal results.

A good leader can describe their vision in vivid detail so to engage and inspire their organization to pursue it. A good manager must interpret that stated vision and recast it in terms that their teams can understand and embrace it.

A leader must sell their vision to their organization and its stakeholders. They must convince all concerned parties that what is envisioned is achievable and provides greater value than what is created by the business today. In keeping, a manager must be able to teach their teams what must be learned and adapted to attain the stated vision.

A leader must understand the business environment in which the enterprise operates so to better anticipate opportunities and evade misfortune, while a manager is relied on to figure out how to get things done using the resources available to the business.

A leader will take educated risks when setting a strategic direction for a business. Managers must have the self-discipline to stick to the plan for realizing that strategic direction so to ensure that the strategy comes together as planned.

A leader's life is filled with uncertainty. They're setting a course for their company in unchartered waters. Once the course is set, managers are duty-bound to follow the stated direction and commit to delivering the results expected.

Finally, leaders must consider the impact of their decisions on the whole organization. A misstep can bring an entire business to its knees. It's a huge responsibility. Accordingly, managers are responsible for their teams. They must ensure that their teams are prepared to deliver and that each member is equipped to do what is required for success.

Indeed, there are important differences between leading and managing. The best leaders lead and let others manage; the best managers understand their leader's vision and work with their teams to achieve it. Your business needs people with both kinds of skills and aptitudes to secure enduring success. Take the time to understand these differences so to build an organization that leverages each to the fullest.

 

 

 

 
Problem solving teams: Need to adapt and find ways to problem sole on a large scale. Facing this issue is a current problem and many don't know how to fix our healthcare system. This article brings up some good points.

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/healthcare/309343-innovation-and-medicare-transparent-accountable-and-outside