Stepping into Tech Management? Here are the key skills you will need.

Career Trends: July 3, 2022
Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS

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Content Credit:

• Article by Nick Kolakowski, published on insights.dice.com. Original article link.

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If you’ve been in the tech industry for a few years, you know that things can get complicated — especially when you’re taking your first steps into team management. Mastering technical skills is great, but when you’re dealing with people, you need to also strengthen soft skills such as empathy and communication.

Management can take many forms; you might be asked to temporarily guide a small team if your boss is out on leave, e.g., or you may have to direct contractors or freelancers who are performing some temporary work for your organisation.

Basics of Management

Whether or not you’re contemplating a management track for your career, if you excel in your early roles, there are high chances that you’ll be considered for management responsibilities, too, a few years down the line.

Keep in mind that, while all managers are expected to be leaders, not all leaders are managers. Many tech companies expect their senior technologists to act as leaders within the organisation, regardless of their formal title. Even if you have no intention of leading a large team as a project manager or executive, it’s never a bad idea to build up your leadership skills, as you’ll inevitably need them during your career.

Here are some leadership skills you can learn through application and practice:

1. Active Listening

• Carve out time to really listen to the concerns of those reporting to you.
• People recognise when you’re hearing them, and they’ll feel more positively about you and your suggestions.
• Active listening is a vital skill for everyone, not just managers.

2. Strong Communication

• Always try to imagine how team members and other stakeholders will react to what you’re saying.
• Gauge how can you modify your message to appeal to them more directly.
• Articulate your requests in a way that’s easily understandable and rooted in research and data.
• See how can you communicate your and your team’s successes in a way that demonstrates the positive impact on the organisation.

3. Focus on being Goal Oriented

• Whether you’re building products for a consumer audience or working to improve an organisation’s tech stack, you always have a “customer” of some sort: internal or external.
• What results do those customers want? Good management means keeping this at front of your mind.

4. Positivity

• As you progress in your career, you’ll find yourself in challenging situations from time to time.
• A positive mindset really can mean the difference between success and failure.
• It also helps you stay motivated and encouraged.

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Have you checked out yesterday’s blog yet?

Master’s In Business Analytics: Career Paths You Could Choose From.

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(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)

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