Conceptual Knowledge report and Reflective Essay

Conceptual Knowledge report and Reflective Essay
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Contents
Section 1: Conceptual Knowledge and Implications for Managing Others..........................................3
Section 2: Self-Analysis and Learning Contract..................................................................................10
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Section 1: Conceptual Knowledge and Implications for
Managing Others
Introduction
The key concept of management involves lots of skills, techniques and styles of handling
resources, dealing with situations, communicating with people, as well as the art of planning,
organising, directing, regulating and implementing various actions and activities. An
effective manager takes on the major role of a good leader with efficient decision making
skills and means of co-ordination.Management has two different perspectives, the traditional
viewpoint and the modern view point. The former viewpoint holds that management is the art
of getting things done, the process of planning, directing and controlling, and the use of
resources for achieving an objective. The latter viewpoint stipulates that management is the
drive behind an organisation’s functional productivity, the process of creation of an effective
working environment and the flexible operation of meeting challenges and changing
circumstances. (Cunliffe, 2016)
Theorists have argued about the nature of management as an art or a science. As an art,
management has some features, including the need to continuously practise, gaining of
experience, innovative and creative application of skills and theoretical knowledge of
relevant management. As science, management has unique characteristics such as
systematicarrangement of operation, observational research and analysis, understanding of
cause and effect and so on.
Management has several levels. Firstly, the top level management. This level is represented
by the chiefs, the boards and the highest authorities of organisations. This management deals
with goals and policies of the company, plans and collaborates actions and functions and
oversees the working of the entire company. Secondly, the middle level of management
comes next. Here the management is represented by different branches and departments who
ensure the smooth working of the organisational and directional functions and operations.
Thirdly comes the lower level of judgment. This level is the supervisory or operative
management. (Glendon, et al 2016)
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One of the key requirements of management is managing others, to be a balanced leader who
supports his or her team, guides it and motivates to work productively. To manage others a
manager needs effective skills in communicating with the team, to be a liaison between the
teams and individuals and other people and to be effective in getting things done in the right
manner. For people management skills, managers need some key features before managing.
First, the manager needs to improve his or her ego. Egos should never come in the way of
managerial duties. Humility is a feature to maintain. Second, the manager has to increase
confidence levels. He or she has to be confident and inspire trust and confidence in others.
Third, the manager should constantly update, hone and maintain communication skills. He or
she has to develop apt listening skills as well as negotiating aptitude so that management of
people can be done in an easier manner. Fourth, the manager has to have a strong and stable
personality so that the leadership quality is effective. Fifth, the priorities should be correct
and appropriate according to situations. Sixth, the manager should be able to sustain focus,
energy and time for all kinds of situations. A good leader has a good sense of time, can be
focused in a balanced way and has energy for everything. Last but not the least, a good
manager while managing the others is concerned about the health, safety, security and
wellbeing of self and the others. (Leberman, and McDonald, 2016)
In this assignment, two components of management of others will be elaborated on-
Managing teams and groups and Managing conflicts. A good manager has to have the right
attitude, skill set and aptitude to manage teams and groups effectively and the right qualities
and personality to understand, avoid, identify and resolve conflicts in workplaces. An
inefficient management tends to mismanage teams and groups as well as conflicts.
Managing Teams and Groups
Teams and groups are integral to any workplace. Management skills are required to plan,
organise, lead, control the teams and groups, also called the POLC functions. Planning refers
to the decision making and assessment done in order to understand the individuals in the
teams and their needs, skills and potentials. The manager plans out the working of each team,
based on the assessment and evaluation done of the team members. (Certo, 2018) Organisation
is the regular systematic arrangement of activities, tasks, actions and solutions that the
manager ensure the team does with commitment to performance, time and professionalism.
Leading is the guidance that managers offer the teams. It is important to constantly guide and
support and motivate the teams to carry on with their work, to perform better, to change track
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