We all think that we will be excellent candidates for management until we are actually given the keys to our kingdoms and left in charge. That is when we learn that management is not as easy as it looks from the outside. In many cases management is incredibly difficult and stressful. The fate of the company or team rests on the manager's shoulders and it is up to the management team to make sure that the company or team runs smoothly.

Two of the most important management skills any manager should have are conflict avoidance and conflict resolution. Basically this means that managers should be able to help their team members work things out before a conflict happens and that, should a conflict still arise that it can be dealt with swiftly and calmly so that the conflict does not affect the rest of the members of the team.

In order to develop management skills, candidates need to make sure that they understand how to be active listeners. This means paying attention to people and asking questions so that you can discover the intention behind a person's words and actions. Some people have good intentions and in spite of their best efforts they still manage to cause problems. A good manager will be able to work with this person to find better ways to express him or herself to avoid conflicts.

Active listening also helps when it comes time to mediate between two or more team members who are having problems with each other. If team members are not able to work out their conflicts on their own, they usually end up in front of management. It is here that managers will sit the team members down and listen to all sides of the situation. Once the manager understands the conflict he or she will use what he has learned to negotiate a settlement between the team members that both (or all) of the team members can live with.

If you are up for a management position or want to someday sit in a management position, you should start working on your active listening skills now. Learn how to ask open ended questions and repeat statements back to people in non-condescending ways. Work on your empathy and your comprehension of body language. All of these skills will come in handy in a management position. They will help you with conflicts, with team motivation and with making sales and moving your team along on their projects.

Side note: active listening makes you a better interviewee which will help you obtain that management position that you have been trying to get! You will be able to ascertain what the higher ups want and offer it to them!

You will be surprised at how much easier it is to lead a team when you know how to listen to your team members and resolve conflicts that arise. Active listening will help you be a better friend, parent and spouse as well. It isn't just a management skill. It is a life skill!

PMI Honors Top Achievers at 2010 Research and Education Conference
WASHINGTON, July 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Project Management Institute (PMI), the world's leading professional membership organization for project managers, has honored five individuals for their contributions to project management and education.

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