Management versus Life Skills

Arunas Beksta
Consultant, Lithuania

Robert Fulghum Said 'All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten'

And, as Robert Fulghum said "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten":
1. Share everything.
2. Play fair.
3. Don't hit people.
4. Put things back where you found them.
5. CLEAN UP YOUR OWN MESS.
6. Don't take things that aren't yours.
7. Say you're SORRY when you HURT somebody.
8. Wash your hands before you eat.
9. Flush.
10. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
11. Live a balanced life - learn some and drink some and draw some and paint some and sing and dance and play and work everyday some.
12. Take a nap every afternoon.
13. When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
14. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
15. Goldfish and hamster and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
16. And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.”.

Molokanova
Professor, Ukraine

All I Really Need to Know

@Arunas Beksta: The management skills outlined are of a simple survival level. Yeah, those skills are probably enough for someone Who lives by the strategy of the renegade (victim). This strategy means that when you meet some obstacles, you retreat and say to yourself that I will do with less. This strategy allows you to live a long, boring life, but it is unlikely that you will be able to realize your full potential. To achieve self-realization any person will need quite different qualities, such as leadership and constant learning new things.

Dr. Winston Lynch
Director, United States

The Importance of Management Skills

Management skills play a crucial role in optimizing organizational performance. These skills help to improve the efficiency of work flow and they also help to build relationship within the team. Managers are sometimes technical people and they must develop skills as they move up the ladder. Management skills play a vital role in risk assessment and the execution of an organization's vision and mission.
One can reasonable assess today's business environment as a changing one. This calls for organizations with managers with strategic vision, multiple competences within the human resources stock, as well as having the capability to build an organizational change-oriented culture.

Ayele Abdata
Manager, Ethiopia

Management and Life Skills are the Same

Yes I agree. The success of our personal life and organizational leadership depend on the same skills. What are these skills?
In 1999, the World Health Organization identified six key areas of life skills: These basic life skills are directly applied in management career.
1. Communication and interpersonal skills. This broadly describes the skills needed to get on and work with other people, and particularly to transfer and receive messages either in writing or verbally.
2. Decision-making and problem-solving. This describes the skills required to understand problems, find solutions to them, alone or with others, and then take action to address them.
3. Creative thinking and critical thinking. This describes the ability to think in different and unusual ways about problems, and find new solutions, or generate new ideas, coupled with the ability to assess information carefully and understand its relevance.
4. Self-awareness and empathy, which are two key parts of emotional intelligence. They describe understanding yourself and being able to feel for other people as if their experiences were happening to you.
5. Assertiveness and equanimity, or self-control. These describe the skills needed to stand up for yourself and other people, and remain calm even in the face of considerable provocation.
6. Resilience and ability to cope with problems, which describes the ability to recover from setbacks, and treat them as opportunities to learn, or simply experiences.

Wilma van Velde
Coach, Netherlands

Similarity of Management Skills and Life Skills

I think management and life skills do have different purposes and focuses, but they indeed share many similarities. Here are 10 examples:
1. Communication:
- Management Skills (MSK): Effective communication is essential for conveying information clearly and persuasively within an organization.
- Life Skills (LSK): Communication is vital for expressing thoughts, feelings, and ideas effectively in personal and professional relationships.

2. Problem-Solving:
- MSK: Identifying, analyzing, and solving problems are essential for ensuring the smooth functioning of an organization.
- LSK: Problem-solving helps in dealing with challenges and making informed decisions in personal life.

3. Decision Making:
- MSK: Making sound decisions, often under pressure, is crucial for the success of an organization.
- LSK: Decision-making skills are necessary for making choices based on critical thinking, self-awareness, and understanding consequences in personal life.

4. Adaptability:
- MSK: Being adaptable and flexible is important for adjusting to changing business environments and circumstances.
- LSK: Adaptability helps in adjusting to new situations, changes, and challenges in personal life.

5. Time Management:
- MSK: Efficiently managing time is essential for meeting deadlines and achieving set objectives.
- LSK: Time management is crucial for prioritizing tasks and managing time effectively in personal and professional life.

6. Emotional Intelligence:
- MSK: Understanding and managing one's emotions, as well as the emotions of others, are essential for effective leadership and team management.
- LSK: Emotional intelligence is important for recognizing, understanding, and managing emotions in personal relationships and various life situations.

7. Critical Thinking:
- MSK: Analyzing situations, reasoning, and making logical connections are essential for strategic decision-making.
- LSK: Critical thinking helps in analyzing situations and making informed decisions in personal and professional life.

8. Interpersonal Skills:
- MSK: Building and maintaining healthy relationships with others are crucial for effective leadership and team collaboration.
- LSK: Interpersonal skills help in building and maintaining relationships with family, friends, colleagues, and other individuals in personal life.

9. Stress Management:
- MSK: Managing stress in a healthy and productive manner is important for maintaining a harmonious working environment.
- LSK: Stress management helps in handling stress effectively in personal and professional life.

10. Financial Literacy:
- MSK: Understanding basic financial concepts and managing budgets are essential for effective financial management within an organization.
- LSK: Financial literacy is important for managing personal finances, making informed financial decisions, and planning for the future. 22-4-2024