Three Key Skills Needed Inside Organizations

Let's face it, employers hire you based on the key skills you have. But what you need to be strong in early in your career is not the same as later in life.

On This Page You Will Learn About a Classic Model of Three Organizational Skills:

• Technical Skiils
• Competual Skills
• Human Relations Skills
• References

By Murray Johannsen

A revolution is sweeping the world at this very moment. It is not a political revolution but a technological revolution which promises thinks like: self-weeding grass, robotic maids, replaceable body parts and electric clothes.

The next 30 years will see more change than the last 100. And for those of you that want to move up in the organization,you must be prepared to continually improve yourself and your skills. But what skills should you develop?

What are the Key Skills To Develop?

Different organizations and experts will come up with different lists. One of the classic views on skills was put out by 1974 in an article that was published by Katz in the Harvard Business Review. The author promoted the view that all the necessary skills needed in modern organizations can be grouped into three key areas:

• Technical Skills
• Conceptual Skills
• and Human Relations Skills

Technical Skills

Technical skills are defined as, "The knowledge of methods, processes, procedures, and techniques for conducting a specialized activity and the ability to operate tools and equipment related to that activity."

Your First Job

You don't have to be an engineer, a biologist, a chemist or a molecular physicist. You can be a history major, psychologist, sociologist or philosopher. But you need some source of specialized expertise in the word. If that technical skill does not come from a degree, it can can come from understanding how to use computers.

Computer Usage

But, no matter what your field, you will have to be comfortable, familiar and able to use computers. No matter what your field of expertise, computers will be used. Computers are being used to save time, same money, solve problems, make life easier. With the advent of artificial intelligence, even some white collar jobs could be automated. Voice recognition programs mean there will be less people answering the phones xx means there will be xx means there will be

Technical skills are important, but they become less important over time compared to the other two. That as you achieve promotions, you technical skills become less key than your conceptual or human relations ones. For example, executives rarely need to solve technical problems, but they do need to understand the application of technology.

The Trap of Technical Skills

Too many individuals never develop anything beyond their technical skills Accounts who never had a job outside of the numbers. Lawyers who never understood the business side. But if you develop beyond your technical skills, many paths to the tops lie open.

"The industrial managers where accustomed to lawyers who seemed almost eager to squelch their bright ideas. But in Shapiro they found a lawyer with a positive attitude, one who would no simply tell them "no" but would suggest an alternative.

Irving Shapiro, it seemed, was more than just a lawyer--he had a talent for business. The word spread, and executives form all over the company started flocking to his office. "People stated coming around saying that they had a legal problem," he remarks, "but what they really really had was a business problem." Louis, Arthur (1981). The Tycoons. New York: Simon and Shuster page 29.

Shapiro has moved out of his technical, legal skills and became a conceptual thinker. That's what put hum on the path to becoming a CEO.

Conceptual Skills

Conceptual skills are defined as, "General analytical ability, logical thinking, proficiency in concept formation and conceptualization of complex and ambiguous relationships, creativity in idea generation and problem solving, ability to analyze events and perceive trends, anticipate changes, and recognize opportunities and potential problems."

These are mostly learned, but contrary to popular belief, they are not learned in college under the label of "critical thinking" skills and the ability to write scholarly paper no one except a professor will read.. The key understanding here, is that problem solving tools must be learned on the job.

If you keep evolving this, skill, you are preparing yourself for the c-level jobs as illustrated below..

"Walter Wriston has an extremely alert, intellectually oriented mind' and "an ability to see through quickly to the consequences of any action." And one of Citizens's outside directors declared: "Wriston has a computer-analytical mind. He has more knowledge in detail than anybody I know. It's very hard to argue with him because he always comes prepared to board meetings very well prepared., with all the information sorted out. Louis, Arthur (1981). The Tycoons. New York: Simon and Shuster page 70.

Human Relations Skills

This key skill area is defined as, "Knowledge about human relations and interpersonal process, the ability to understand feelings, attitudes and motives of others from what they say or do (empathy, social sensitivity), ability to communicate clearly and effectively (speech fluency, persuasiveness) and ability to establish effective and cooperative relationships (tact, diplomacy, knowledge about acceptable social behavior)."

One would think that human relations skills would be high on everyone's skill build list, but a fair amount of people neglect it completely. And unfortunately, a few of them get to the very top of the organizational food chain and so inflect a reign of terror on those below.

One typically sees a face where they are affable enough toward outsiders, but by most accounts they act like an unholy terror when dealing with subordinates. Fortune magazine sometimes put together a list of the "toughest bosses" in American business, noting that these bosses typically produce excessive turnover.

Which skills to build?

Technical skills are more important for low-level managers and entry level positions. However, smarter firms are also looking for human relationship skills. After all, who wants an engineer or accountant that can't fit in? While conceptual skills are always important, they become increasing important as on moves up the organizational latter. They are absolutely essential for board members and c-level executives. Conceptual skills are most important for top management. Tasks with making strategic decisions in environments of risk and uncertainty.

Skill Transferability

Very difficult to transfer skills at the lower levels. Ex Transferring from sales into engineering. May be difficult for top executives to transfer. Human relations and conceptual skills are no problem but technical skills may be.

Summary

While all three skills are important, the situation determines which one predominates. It's important to understand the the key skill that got you to your current position may not be the one that gets you promoted.

If You Master Key Skills—Your Career Will Prosper.