Introduction
Regardless of your position and role in the company, working in collaboration, communication, and leading the group will be necessary. In this sense, management is one of the crucial skills you should acquire to succeed in life. It is not reiterated to the office and company heads but also to any group leaders required to maximize each member’s efficiency. In this paper, I want to talk about management experience and critical factors that can sometimes be omitted in university education.
Insufficient Teaching of Management Skills at University
First, I must mention that university experience and education do not depreciate because of my words. Although some graduates do not possess the different skills necessary for their development as professionals, the university still provides the most fundamental knowledge and abilities you will need. In a sense, management can be seen in university life within various group works and projects. It gives you a necessary basis to start a career path. Thus, it would help if you never forgot that university is a crucial starting point for many spheres and industries.
However, universities do not possess the resources and practical understanding to teach you the skills you will need in the future. The skills I will talk about today are well-known but not explained thoroughly. When you graduate from university, you will face different paths in life, and entry-level positions can always be hard to get.
Communication Aspect of Management
People with better hard skills and theoretical knowledge can be more successful initially, but what defines your success in long-term perspective is an ability to communicate with people. Understanding their differences and having a proper position on conflict resolution will define your position in the company after a few years, while any theoretical knowledge will become outdated. Thus, consider this advice when considering your future strengths and abilities.
Example of Phill Knight’s Management at Nike
Let’s start with the example of Nike, the most significant sneaker company in the world. Its founder – Phill Knight, is not a person similar to typical managers and heads of corporations. His uncommon approach to management can be met with criticism due to the insufficiency of strategies and plans. Still, he turned a tiny sneakers company into a corporation that holds most of the shoes for athletes, their fans, and everyone else.
Being centralized within Knight’s personality, Nike can be called a self-management company. It was noted in the article by Roth (2005) that Phill prefers speaking with his employees one-on-one rather than creating development strategies. According to Roth (2005), Knight was expected to simultaneously take everything possible out of his employees by acknowledging their traits.
What makes Knight so successful? The critical point stands to be communication. The name of the skill itself is rather abstract, and various definitions can be acquired. However, there are definite principles that should be followed within the concept of communication. It is essential to foster collaboration among team members. They should be able to coincide in the idea of how the task should be done, and thus, it is essential that everyone understand the result and means of achieving it. However, it also refers to the management style you should choose – rather than leaving for self-management or having a more vivid direction of actions.
Both of these management approaches have their drawbacks and advantages. As self-management requires a certain degree of freedom, employees should be able to achieve the result through any approaches and tools. The primary role of the chief here is to properly evaluate the general picture and ideology underlying the team structure and functions. This style requires a thorough understanding of the characteristics of each of its members and thus can be complicated with larger structures. As Phill Knight usually took this approach, his team included only heads of departments. Thus, he was able to work individually with them.
With larger groups and teams, more direction of actions can be required. Although less effective and creative than self-management, this approach enables one to have complete control of the process and, this way, get the most accurate results. The direction of actions requires a complex set of plans and strategies dedicated to each case and constant monitoring of employee achievements. It requires building a hierarchy of corporate structure that will delegate specific functions to each team member. It is also necessary to provide feedback to employees and listen to their complaints and adjustments. Correcting actions is an essential but complex duty of this management style.
Environmental Aspect of Management
Another critical aspect of management that can be missed at university is choosing the best environment for you. The manager in any corporate structure is not the most competent professional in the sphere but rather an individual surrounded by such talented people. Working with people who are better than you in their specific fields is essential in building a team for your goals. As in the case of Nike, Knight was able to work with many talented people who became heads of his departments and those with no experience in a corporate job. One of the examples was Bob Woodell, who was not suited for corporate management but was a well-known and competent professional trainer. Under his innovations, Nike gained the authority of the best athlete shoes and became a fashion trendsetter in the market.
Developmental Aspect of Management
Lastly, what I am willing to tell you is that every management requires personal development in the first place. Any prominent management positions require flexibility and continuous adaptation to changing patterns in the market. The improvement over every problem and conflict would result in a more decisive and open-minded leader who is not afraid of taking risks for novelties. Managers can take only calculated risks, but innovations and changes should be an essential part of any strategies you will provide.
In the fast-paced business environment, prioritizing one’s development will result in sustainable long-term management that will mitigate the risks of leaving the market or becoming an inefficient manager. The development here considers improving knowledge and skills, like leadership. It will require you to learn more about spheres you are not proficient in or have collaborated with previously unknown team structures.
Conclusion
Management is a vital part of any profession and career path. Thus, it is essential to take some time to study the skills that are required. Communication, adaptation, and improvement are only aspects of management science, but they can be considered core principles. As the university is an educational institution that allows you to gain theoretical knowledge and understand fundamental concepts, real-life experience in management will help you understand human nature and how you should interact with it.
Work Cited
Roth, D. (2005). Can Nike still do it without Phil Knight? Fortune Magazine. Web.