Contents
Foreword by Udai Pareek 10
Preface 11
Acknowledgements 13
Introduction 15
SECTION A—MANAGERIAL SKILLS 19
Planning—Key to Achievements Mirror Image – 1 Are you a good planner?
Why Do Managers Resist Planning? Decision-Making Mirror Image – 2
How effective are you in decision-making? What are the Odds? What Is Your
Style of Decision-Making? Mirror Image – 3 Do you know your decisionmaking
styles? Be a Manager or a Leader Mirror Image – 4 Am I a manager or
a leader? Possess Leadership Potential Mirror Image – 5 Am I a potential
leader? Is Good Management Leadership? Mirror Image – 6 Can I Lead in a
Better Way? Mirror Image – 7 How effective are you in getting the best out of
a man? Sharpen Supervisory Skills Mirror Image – 8 Are you ready to be a
supervisor? Is Delegation an Essential Element of a Manager’s Job? Mirror
Image – 9 Assess your delegation ability Demonstrate ‘Initiative’ If You Want to
Be Delegated Mirror Image – 10 Win in Conflict Situations Mirror Image – 11
How do you resolve conflict? Be Creative Mirror Image – 12 How creative
am I? Be Innovative Mirror Image – 13 Do you have an innovative attitude?
Are You a Creative Thinker? Mirror Image – 14 What Do Managers Do?
Mirror Image – 15
SECTION B—COMMUNICATION SKILLS 85
The Art of Getting Your Message Across Mirror Image – 1 Are you good at
communication? Importance of Communication Barriers to Effective
Communication Final Message Are You Communicating Effectively? Mirror
Image – 2 The 3 Ps of Presentation Mirror Image – 3 Would you like to be a
good presenter? Are You Able to Attract Audience? Mirror Image – 4 Body
Language—An Indispensable Tool in Communication Mirror Image – 5 How
observant are you of body movements? Body Language Mirror Image – 6
How efficient are you in interpreting body language? Be a Good Listener
Mirror Image – 7 Am I a good listener? Do I Possess the Listening Skills?
Mirror Image – 8
SECTION C—GROUP DYNAMICS SKILLS 121
Skilled Interviewing Mirror Image – 1 Assess your interviewing skills Do
You Emerge as an Effective Interviewer? Mirror Image – 2 Are you an effective
interviewer? Successful Meetings Mirror Image – 3 Meeting skills Positive
Course of Action in Running a Meeting Participative Meeting Mirror Image – 4
Effective Teamwork—The Foundation of Successful Management Mirror
Image – 5 Are you an effective team leader? Getting the Best from People
Mirror Image – 6 Am I a good motivator? The Maslow Hierarchy What
Makes Workplace Teams Effective? Mirror Image – 7 Are you a good team
facilitator? Can You Handle People? Mirror Image – 8 How good am I in
handling people? Can You Make People Gladly Do What You Want? Mirror
Image – 9 Dealing with Demotivated People Mirror Image – 10 Do I prevent
demotivation? Envious of Co-Workers Mirror Image – 11 How sensitive are
you when comparing yourself with others? Work Groups Increase Productivity
Mirror Image – 12 Can you diagnose the cohesiveness of your work group?
Win People During Appraisals Mirror Image – 13 How successful are you at
appraisal interviews? Conflict with the Boss Mirror Image – 14 How successful
are you in handling conflict with the boss? How Do You Give the Feedback?
Mirror Image – 15 Would You Like to Win an Argument? Mirror Image – 16
How do I handle an argument? What’s Your Style? Mirror Image – 17
SECTION D—ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT SKILLS 205
Be Successful in the Global World Mirror Image – 1 Are you aware of cross
culture impact? Impression Management—Organisational Politics Mirror
Image – 2 How do you respond to ‘Hard Ball’ organisational politics? How
Things Go Wrong and How to Put Them Right? Mirror Image – 3 Are You a
Crisis Manager? Mirror Image – 4 ‘Are you effective in crisis management?’
How Well Can You Manage Your Boss? Mirror Image – 5
SECTION E—SELF-ENHANCEMENT SKILLS 227
Positive Attitude Mirror Image – 1 Do you have a positive attitude? Be a
Winner Mirror Image – 2 Fear of success Have a Constructive Approach
Mirror Image – 3 Evaluate your approach: Is it constructive? Choosing How
You Perceive Mirror Image – 4 How do you perceive? Self-Control Leads to
Perfection Mirror Image – 5 Do I exert self-control? Have the Courage
8 Towards Personal Excellence
to Think for Yourself Mirror Image – 6 Are you a think-tank for yourself ?
Self-Monitoring Mirror Image – 7 Do you regulate your behaviour? Anger
Management Mirror image – 8 How to express anger? Live a Stress-free Life
Mirror Image – 9 Am I under stress? Analysis of Emotions Mirror Image – 10
SECTION F—CAREER PLANNING 273
Three Bs for Job Hunters Mirror Image – 1 Where are you in your job hunt?
Gearing to Manage a Successful Career Mirror Image – 2 Do I know my
career aspirations? Chess of Success Mirror Image – 3 Do I need a career
counsellor? Stepping into a New Job as a Boss Mirror Image – 4 Are you a
successful new boss?
About the Author 295
Contents 9
Preface
This book is an attempt to synthesise various managerial skills and will make
accessible the useful behavioural concepts and aids for the personal development of a broad
spectrum of readers. It consists of six modules and each has a cluster of skills with
self-assessment questionnaires and certain tips. These tips are aimed not only to help
individuals assess their skills but also to provide practical techniques in applying those
skills. These tips will help in handling real-life situations and developing first class managerial
skills, which are the keys to a productive workplace. This would in turn enable one to
understand and plan changes to achieve the best results, especially in terms of how to bring
out the best in people by understanding basic human needs and thus encouraging individuals’
initiative.
The various self-assessment questionnaires are pilot tested, which will prove useful
to people hard pressed for time or without access to behavioural conceptual
inputs. People in all professions will be benefited by adjuncting to their efforts. Behavioural
science trainers can use various tests in executive development programmes. HR
departments of all organisations will be benefited by using the book in assessing the
various skills of their employees and in identifying training needs. Young, budding
managers and professionals will also find it useful to assess their potential and further
develop. Each professional should, I believe, possess a personal copy to monitor the
progress of self-development.
Competency-building has become the buzzword amongst the corporates. Executive
managers, professionals in all fields are either consciously looking forward for ways to enhance
their competencies or the environment is forcing them to become competitive. Speed is
what is leading to success. How can one speed-up enhancement of skills and performance?
Are training programmes the alternative? If yes, then how many? Are training programmes
addressing your specific problems?
