Manager Success

Manager Success Test

Take responsibility for your success as a manger or supervisor.

Research studies indicate that a manager’s success is determined by the right mix of skills which fall into 3 categories:

1. Conceptual Skills – the ability to understand the organization, its interdependent parts, how it relates to its environment so that effective problem-solving, planning and executing can occur
2. Human Skills – various interpersonal aptitudes and skills used to accomplish goals through individual members and team as whole
3. Technical Skills – specialized knowledge and expertise in the industry

Success at different levels of management demand differing levels of these abilities: Supervisors require technical and human skills and little to no conceptual abilities.  Middle management relies far more heavily on human skills with some skills in the other two areas. C-Suite Managers require strong conceptual skills and human skills while needing only a little technical expertise in the industry in order to achieve success.

You will find many options for manager success testing of Human Skills within our site. The Myers Briggs, FIRO, Enneagram, DISC, and some lesser known assessments provide assess slightly different aspects of the host of human skills. Within this list, you can determine your personal human interaction style, natural relating style, character, natural and adaptative behaviors, influencing, conflict resolution style and more.

The Highlands Ability Battery provides the most comprehensive information about 19 your natural Conceptual Abilities and their resultant competencies and behaviors.
It is compilation of aptitude tests each girded by 50-100 years of research conducted by the US Military and large corporations.  Most of this information has been held closely within these and academic institutions.  With the turn of the century, a small company purchased the rights for career development, and transformed it into the most viable, affordable and comprehensive tool for professional development, including managerial success.

The Highlands Ability Battery aptitudes include 6 reasoning abilities, 3 area of ‘smartness’ including the traditional IQ measurements, 5 learning channels, 3 personal style factors, 6 ‘demanding’ aptitudes and several specialized abilities.  Combinations of these abilities determine a host of key career and working elements including decision, communication and learning styles and preferred environment.  It is capable of naming the roles, types and level of management in which you will find the most success.  Truly a profoundly useful tool in your arsenal of management success tools.

Versions of this assessment have been used by most corporations and the military for more than 60 years for hiring and promotion purposes.  Even small businesses are turning to such tools in this age of diversity where it is necessary identify natural abilities independent of bias.

Technical skills vary greatly by industry and even company.  These are therefore best assessed within the organization itself.  To enhance your technical competencies, obtain a comprehensive skill lists from your human resources department to guide your education and training choices.  We offer a sample list from a corporation within our JobDunk^TMLibrary.

Be a successful manager! Be a success as a supervisor!

Although there is no surefire tool to predict manager success, human interaction competencies are by far the most pervasive and therefore critical skill set among successful managers.  Victor Lipman writing for Forbes summaries them as

• Conflict (how effectively do you resolve disagreements and disputes)
• Communication (how effectively do you communicate and relate)
• Confidence (I’d rename this Character)
• Conscience (moral conduct around clarified sound values)

In general, the term EQ could be used to encompass these 4 human skill areas.  Given the aforementioned research I’d add

• Complexity (conceptual skills) and the author would add
• Competence (technical skills) to round out

the C-model of managerial skills for success.  Request a list of a links to this and other articles on manager success for your professional development.

You may have already concluded that self-awareness is the fundamental element for them all.  It is the foundation upon which the rooms of a sound management house are built within you.  Accurate and realistic assessments of your innate abilities, personality, character, behaviors, and skills centered around the primary “C-model’ of management room themes would, therefore, imbibe changes favoring success as a manager.

Prolific business-approved assessments are provided here for two prominent human skills – Communication and Conflict.  To determine your interpersonal style to communicate and resolve conflicts look to the Myers Briggs or the FIRO or better yet the combination of the two assessments.

The Myers Briggs with booklets on leadership is particularly useful.  The booklets offer you a library of information enabling you to better understand yourself as well as gain insights into effectively motivating and communicating your employees.   You might consider having your team take less expensive versions of the same assessment, or build a training around it for team-building purposes.  Speak with an expert to l

If your desire is to understand your natural innate abilities, we recommend the Highlands Ability Battery Leadership test. With it you will be able to identify your Conceptualization and Communication abilities plus what type of management in which you will find the greatest success.

Enneagram is highly effective at Character development which is essential for growing into higher managerial levels.

The Highlands with FIRO and the Myers Briggs Leadership bundle offers the insights into the greatest level of areas related to success as a manager… Communication, Conflict, and Conceptualization. A couple of options can be chosen if you truly want to achieve success as a manager.  Combination tests always include multiple consultations with a career expert.

To fully realize improvements and growth in your managerial performance I recommend adding Leadership Coaching or Performance Coaching.  Through coaching you can build a bridge from knowledge to performance.  Marjorie Wall Hofer, M.Ed., PCC, PCM, CEIC as your coach if you wish.