155).
Some managers, however, disdain the need for political skills because they regard them as being manipulative (Moss & Barbuto, 2010). An important point made by Schachter, though, is that, "Political skills do not mean manipulating others but rather facilitating personal and professional relationships and enable managers to see the big picture as well as the details" (2010, p. 34). When viewed from this perspective, it is apparent that political skills represent an essential part of a manager's critical skills repertoire.
In many ways, however, political skills may be the most difficult for many managers to develop because the analyses that are involved typically transcend the conventional practices to which they are accustomed, but these skills are also among the most important in order for managers to be truly effective. For example, one aspect of political skills is the ability to identify those within an organization that can provide the power base needed to effect meaningful change, even if these individuals lack the formal authority needed to approve such change (Schachter, 2010). In sum, finely tuned political skills not only facilitate more effective communications by helping managers gain a better understanding of the views of others, they can also help them formulate more effective strategies to overcoming resistance as well as gaining additional support and resources (Schachter, 2010).
Other experts agree that the foregoing critical skills form the foundation of effective management in the modern workplace, but add some other critical skills as well include the following:
• A high level of self-awareness;
• Knowledge of human motivation;
• The ability to allocate limited resources perceptively;
• A well-developed personal vision and the ability to sell it;
• A well-developed set of personal values;
• A commitment to community;
• Established knowledge and learning networks;
• The ability to effectively analyze and package complex information; and, • The ability to make decisions in conditions of extreme ambiguity (Powell, 2009, p. 28).
Taken together, it is clear that managers today require a comprehensive skills portfolio to compete effectively, communicate accurately and timely, and contribute in meaningful ways to the success of their organizations. As noted above, in order to evaluate any manager's skills set, it is first important to measure them. Therefore, in order to gain some fresh insights into the author's own managerial skills at present in order to identify strengths and weaknesses, an analysis of the author's profile of managerial skills using the personal assessment of management skills questionnaire is provided below.
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