Management US Blog Posts

Efficient healthcare plays a vital role in every individual’s life. Healthcare refers to treating and managing illnesses related to mental or physical well-being. Every individual wishes to have good quality healthcare to help them improve their living standard in order to live their lives to the fullest. Knowing that healthcare is not limited to physical and mental health is important for every entity involved in the healthcare business. With the global pandemic observing a frightening rise in the physically and mentally affected patients, it is time to acknowledge the demand for medical expertise among healthcare management employees.  Along with knowing the management of any healthcare facility, employees must also actively educate themselves with the right healthcare knowledge. While in-depth expertise is not required, leading medical books online can provide fundamental healthcare knowledge for healthcare management professionals. As more people and students feel inclined towards acquiring basic healthcare literacy, we provide you with a list of top medical books that might help kickstart your learning process. Top 5 Healthcare Books  Reading medical textbooks can be exceptionally helpful for individuals and healthcare management professionals to understand the methods to approach and assist patients in need of medical assistance. Besides educating you about fundamental steps during an emergency, these books will also expose you to maintaining the right demeanor while dealing with patients. These books shed light on the field of medical sciences in a myriad of ways. So. keep reading and find your best pick! The Checklist Manifesto Author: Atul Gawande The Checklist Manifesto focuses on the impact of checklists on people’s personal and professional lives. The author emphasizes the importance of making checklists to accomplish work effectively and systematically. The need for safety cannot be taken for granted in the medical profession. To provide effective healthcare with much greater consistency and safety, making checklists can greatly help people as it ensures work is done in an organized and orderly way. According to the author Gawande, the checklist should provide reminders of only important steps while maintaining its practicality.  Gawande further states that he was inspired to write The Checklist Manifesto after reading a story about a child saved from falling into a frozen pond by a physician who relied on the checklists. A checklist helps people to protect against failures. In hospitals, doctors and nurses make their own everyday checklists to maintain consistency in patient care. A checklist is an aid. If it does not aid, it is not correct.  The Innovator’s Prescription: A Disruptive Solution for Health Care Author: Clayton M. Christensen, Jerome H. Grossman M.D, and Jason Hwang M.D.   Every individual cannot afford to have effective healthcare services following its sky-high prices all around the world. For some people, paying medical bills can get challenging. The Innovator’s Prescription is a medical book that analyzes different strategies to help improve the healthcare system and how it can be made affordable for people worldwide. In this book, readers will further discover how the author narrates the importance of precision medicine in reducing cost, further helping the disruptive business models improve the overall healthcare services offered. The book also emphasizes how employers can change their roles in healthcare in the era of globalization. If a person wants to be good at healthcare management, they must know different ways to contribute towards improving the healthcare system and making healthcare affordable, which most medical books online are not equipped for. The Energy Paradox Author: Steven Gundry In this medical book, author Steven Gundry focuses on one of the top health issues, which is fatigue, offering a revolutionary plan for boosting people’s energy and revitalizing their mental and physical strength. The author further discusses exhaustion, depression, low metabolism, and anxiety as symptoms of fatigue. Dr. Gundry explains that feeling tired, moody, and exhausted even because of workload is not normal. In his clinical work, he found out that patients who complained of feeling sick had something in common: inflammation markers of a leaky gut.  The Energy Paradox talks about different ways to retain energy and feel healthy. This book offers the readers vital tips on increasing energy, a list of energy-boosting foods, and suggestions to avoid energy-depleting foods. This book will enable the readers to not only recommend quality healthcare but also assimilate the same into their regimen. How Doctors Think Author: Jerome Groopman How doctors think is a medical textbook where author Jerome Groopman takes his reader into the world of doctors’ minds. The author extends his empathy toward doctors, stating how they’re equally human and not infallible beings with zero records of mistakes. The book extends on the topic by sharing a story about a woman who suffered stomach aches and severe weight loss. The woman visited thirty doctors over a period of fifteen years. After several misdiagnoses, she was finally diagnosed with celiac disease. The author emphasized that poor communication between the doctor and patient can lead to various misdiagnoses and wrong treatments.   Groopman’s book works as a periscope in the life of doctors, describing their day-to-day challenges and how teh healthcare professionals tackle them to provide quality healthcare assessments. The author advises the patients on how to reduce their cognitive errors. This book also discusses the vital approach in medical practice, allowing doctors and patients to make better judgments. If Disney Ran Your Hospital: 9 ½ Things You Would Do Differently  Author: Fred Lee This book by Fred Lee is a must-read for treating clinicians or anyone in healthcare management to comprehend the perspective of employees and patients, which can be assessed and applied to medical services for better treatment. If Disney Ran Your Hospital is a medical book about employee and patient experiences, helping employees improve performance and gain patient loyalty.  According to the author Fred Lee, the idea behind this book is if Disney provides quality service in the healthcare industry, people would be more cared for, every staff would feel valued, the nurses would believe others do not judge their standards, and the organization would successfully deliver effective quality services. Healthcare management can significantly redeem value from this book as it contains a myriad of stories and examples that will inspire every reader with the hope of offering and obtaining better healthcare services. Learn Management Courses from the World’s top Universities. Earn Master, Executive PGP, or Advanced Certificate Programs to fast-track your career. Conclusion Healthcare is an imperative part of our society, assisting people to maintain and enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Just like healthcare facilities are important for people, medical staff and healthcare management demand equal empathy while extending medical services. Therefore, our list of top healthcare books includes various such books that offer general people an insight into the life of medical professionals while being educated about healthcare in general.  While medical books online and Google can assist you in enhancing your knowledge of healthcare management to a great extent, your dream to work in healthcare management will need you to obtain the right certifications. If you are hoping to become a part of healthcare management, upGrad’s Master of Business Administration can be your first step towards achieving excellence! Explore our MBA Programs in The US Master of Business Administration (MBA) Liverpool Business School Executive MBA From SSBM MBA course from Deakin Business School .wpdt-tc-F44336 { color: #F44336 !important;} You can also check out our free courses offered by upGrad in Management, Data Science, Machine Learning, Digital Marketing, and Technology. All of these courses have top-notch learning resources, weekly live lectures, industry assignments, and a certificate of course completion – all free of cost!

Management is referred to as a process of getting the task or work done effectively and efficiently to help organizations achieve their objectives. The management process involves a series of steps undertaken to perform any activity, tasks, business goals, and operations. These steps include planning, organizing, leading, and controlling the resources to manage specific tasks and projects. The management process is undertaken by skilled managers and leaders who ensure company requirements are fulfilled efficiently. A smooth-running management is a prerequisite for the consistent growth of any company, and this is where the core concepts of management also participate.  The core concepts of management include two widely explored areas: Nature and Scope. Following the set of rules and concepts under these two sections, a management professional hones proficiency in their role, leading to improved teamwork. In order to ensure transparency and efficiency in your management, ensure you know the intricacies of management nature and scope.  Learn Management Courses from the World’s top Universities. Earn Master, Executive PGP, or Advanced Certificate Programs to fast-track your career. Let’s discuss the nature and scope of management to further expand your knowledge! Nature and Scope of Management  The scope and nature of management is a vast topic that demands in-depth analysis. Hence, explaining the nature and scope of management becomes quite challenging. Let’s discuss each term independently to understand it even better.  The Nature of Management  Management is a systematic process that helps identify skilled groups of people in specific domains to accomplish a particular activity with optimum results. This allows an organization to improve its efficiency and effectiveness. Listed below are teh defining features of management that aptly highlight the nature of management:  1. Universal    The skills and principles of management can be applied in any field, for instance, the ability to make well-informed decisions. The explored decision-making knowledge can also be applied to other businesses, making it universal. Hence, the management process can develop other managerial skills over time that will help individuals personally and professionally.    2. Dynamic  Management is dynamic as it keeps changing with the ever-changing environment caused by political, economic, technological, and human influences. The employees should have the flexibility and adaptability to perform under stressful situations. The employees should be given adequate training to gain confidence and knowledge to think critically under changing scenarios.  3. Social  Management is a social process responsible for organizing people in groups and managing them. Since human factors are more significant than any other factors, it is the responsibility of the management to develop relationships among people to gain productivity and efficiency. The management ensures the satisfaction of the people towards their work life.  4. Intangible      Management is an intangible process. While it lacks a physical appearance, it can be felt. For instance, when an organization accomplishes its target and employees stay motivated, the management is praised for its efficiency and effectiveness. On the other hand, when an organization fails to achieve its target and remains demotivated, the management is asked to understand the reason behind the failure of a team.  5. Goal-Oriented  All the activities undertaken by the management processes are goal-oriented. The main focus of the management is to accomplish the goals and objectives of the organization effectively. Having proper strategy creation skills is essential to fulfill objectives and help reach pre-determined goals.  6. Coordinating   In order to achieve productivity, there should be good coordination among the human resources. For instance, management works with plenty of teams, and each team should work closely for better outcomes. This will also help them to reduce confusion and high levels of retention.  7. Production Factor  Managers play a vital role in increasing the use of both capital and labor. Therefore, management is an imperative aspect of manufacturing. The manager has various responsibilities, like devising new strategies to keep the output incoming. They have to deal with employees’ strengths and weaknesses. They work on other various factors to balance and increase production.  8. Professional  You must have ample expertise and experience in the relevant domain as a manager. Management is supposed to be professional with a drive to deliver dedication through their performance. Along with motivation, punctuality is another factor that should be apparent in their approach as a professional. As a result, this will help to bring the best output from their team members.  9. Crucial Part of Society  Management prominently impacts societies, as it is the managers responsible for positively impacting communities through growth and organization. 10. Process The management process consists of a series of actions to help them accomplish goals. Following each step of the process ensures higher success rates.  Scope of Management  As we have discussed the nature of management, now let’s discuss its scope. For better understanding, we can divide the scope of management into two sections:  Activities  Listed below are the activities of management:  1. Planning  Planning is one of the first steps in the management process. It is crucial as the entire project or business is planned. In this step, the management decides which goals, strategies, and action courses are appropriate to implement within a project. Planning also comprises budgeting, sales planning, workforce planning, the technology required, and many other aspects.  2. Organizing After the planning stage, the next step is to organize. In this process, the workers can coordinate together to accomplish organizational goals. To make any project or business successful, the manager must organize all the basic requirements, such as capital, machinery, technology, and human resource.  3. Controlling  It is the management that evaluates the achievement and has the ability to take action. Hence, managers must keep constant track of project progresses to further evaluate the business process, the resources, and team performances. A manager must take quick and corrective action in case of any deviation.  4. Coordinating  Management ensures coordination and unity among participating people from different domains, collectively working on a single project to reach a target. This coordination and unity will help the employees accomplish tasks and achieve the organization’s goals.  5. Directing   The management is responsible for directing individuals on the right path, encouraging them to meet the organizational objectives.  Branches Let’s take a look at the branches of management. 1. Marketing Management  The marketing management process involves planning, organizing, and directing the activities of the working employees in the marketing department. Marketing management aims to increase consumer awareness of the item or services. This management branch ensures the resources are utilized with the greatest possible results.  2. Office Management   Office Management includes controlling the activities of the office to accomplish collective organizational targets, such as planning and implementing work through all sections of an office. It further refers to further management of guiding and organizing activities to ensure the projects smoothly sail across all sections of an organization.  3. Production Management  The production management process comprises a vast set of functionalities that relate to the creation of a product or service. Without production, there cannot be finished goods or services, and the lack of production management can drastically halt interest and profit generation within any company. Production management covers quality control, plan layout, research, and development.  4. Personnel Management  Human resources is one of the most crucial variables determining a company’s success. Directing and motivating the employees and personnel planning are some of the managerial activities in personnel management. This management aspect is essential for the employees to accomplish the organizational goals. Without fulfilling the needs and wants of the employees, it becomes difficult for the organization to succeed.  5. Financial Management  Every organization prioritizes financial management as it might get tricky if finance is not managed correctly. Effective financial management ensures that stakeholders get fair returns, calculating capital requirements while aiding the company to retain a significant financial balance through all its processes. Financial management is also responsible for the coordination of duties among the departments. Explore our MBA Programs in The US Master of Business Administration (MBA) Liverpool Business School Executive MBA From SSBM MBA course from Deakin Business School .wpdt-tc-F44336 { color: #F44336 !important;} Conclusion  Every organization should have impactful management to fuel different organs to attain organizational goals. Management, as a process, can be implemented on any project or business. The central idea is to plan, organize, create a team and execute the plan for the desired result. The nature and scope of management play an imperative role in achieving organizational goals and objectives. By knowing the nooks and crannies of management, managers and working personnel can actively monitor themselves and each other towards improved performance.  If you’re interested in further molding a career in management, check out upGrad’s Professional Certificate Programme in HR Management and Analytics. Offered under the expert faculty guidance of the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode, this program equips learners with in-demand skills to pave a successful career in the HR management domain. You can also check out our free courses offered by upGrad in Management, Data Science, Machine Learning, Digital Marketing, and Technology. All of these courses have top-notch learning resources, weekly live lectures, industry assignments, and a certificate of course completion – all free of cost!  

Are you looking to make a career in the supply chain management sector? In the post-pandemic period, this is one industry witnessing significant growth. The supply chain industry is one of the leading economic boosters as well. Recent reports show the size of the global supply chain management market worldwide in 2022 will be USD 19.58 billion, which is estimated to grow further and reach USD 30.91 billion by 2026.  It is obvious from the figures that with an increase in market size, more job opportunities will open up in this sector, both for freshers and experienced professionals. To enter this industry, candidates must crack multiple interviews, which is often tricky. Let us look at the most commonly asked supply chain management interview questions so that you can make preparations accordingly.  Learn Supply Chain Management Courses from the World’s top Universities. Earn Masters, Executive PGP, or Advanced Certificate Programs to fast-track your career. 18 most common interview questions for supply chain management If you intend to present yourself as the ideal candidate for the job role in the supply chain management company, you must consider and start preparing for some similar supply chain management questions mentioned below: 1. Explain or define supply chain management. This is probably the first question that your interviewer will ask. Answering this question ensures that you can describe or explain supply chain management to other employees in the company or even to customers. Employers expect a simple answer which is easily understandable.  You could answer supply chain management as planning and managing all kinds of supply chain activities in any business. This includes product development, production, sourcing, logistics, etc. 2. What are the much-needed skills to become successful in supply chain management? This is one of the most commonly asked supply chain interview questions. Hiring managers ask this question to adjudge if the candidate has the right skills to be in the supply chain management profession.  To succeed in supply chain management, you must have excellent communication and customer service abilities. This is important as there are regular interactions and negotiations with suppliers. These skills help in building solid relationships.  3. What kinds of preparations are needed for the upcoming holiday season? The holiday season is the busiest time for companies and businesses as they experience maximum sales during this time.  You must gather experience from the previous holiday season and review the sales numbers. Items that were high in demand should be ordered in higher quantities. Transportation teams also need to be taken into the loop by informing them about shipment and delivery expectations during this period.  4. Are you updated on the latest trends in the supply chain management system? This question is among the most commonly asked supply chain management interview questions for freshers. Technology trends keep on changing, and professionals must remain updated regarding them.  You can talk about some transport management software, which has computerized tracking systems integrating all kinds of actions from a single panel. Using such innovative technology helps in improving efficiency.  5. What would be your plan if the warehouse ran out of stock? With this question, the interviewer wants to examine how you react to a situation where the availability of a product in demand is low. It is essential to handle the situation logically and calmly.  Initially, it is crucial to identify the product shortage and ascertain the amount left. The next step is to contact an original supplier and arrange for a rush order of the required supplies.  6. Do you have experience with overseas supplier collaboration? One of the most important SCM interview questions asked of experienced professionals in this industry is if they have experience collaborating with overseas suppliers.  You must stay connected with the suppliers regularly by maintaining communication through various channels, including chat management software. An overseas collaboration remains successful with constant communication.  7. How will your experience and skills add value to our company? With this question, the hiring party aims to analyze your background and strength and understand if you are the right candidate for the job role. Emphasize your qualities and skills like negotiation abilities, advanced communication skills, building long-lasting relationships, and so on. Also, mention how you have negotiated with clients in your previous company and built relationships with them.  8. Do you use any supply chain management software? There are many supply chain management interview questions and answers pdf available on the internet. You are sure to find this question or variations of it. You are expected to have sound knowledge of supply chain management software or tools for recording updates, delivery progress, product manufacturing, etc.  With SCM software, you can monitor supply and inventory levels, collaborate with clients, oversee transportation locations, and so on. There is increased efficiency with such software. 9. What is the meaning of SKU in the supply chain? SKU is the stock-keeping unit. In inventory management, it is defined as a particular item stored in one specific location. SKU is the most disaggregated level when it comes to inventory dealing.  10. What is the meaning of the term affreightment? When you look up a list of supply chain interview questions and answers, you are sure to find this question. The source of the term affreightment is the word ‘freight’. It is the amount of money given to the charterer instead of renting a vessel to take the goods.  11. What do you think are the key elements in inventory management and planning? Your hiring manager will check if you can make critical decisions regarding the order volume and order frequency. You can effectively increase profits with the maintenance of strong inventory levels.  One of the best ways of maintaining supply levels and balanced inventory is to carefully review product orders and inventory numbers for the past few months. This gives an idea of the volume of supplies that need ordering.  12. Tell us about your most challenging moment in a supply chain job and the way you resolved it.  Look up any standard supply chain management questions and answers PDF, and you will find this question and its answer there. Through this question, employers ascertain if you are capable of handling difficult situations in the company.  Tell about a challenging event and how you solved it with your skills and efforts. Narrate how you went to every supply chain level and resolved the issue in the quickest possible time.  13. If there is an unexpected delay in the shipment to your warehouse, what would you do to handle the situation? It might happen that a shipment turns late unexpectedly. This might result in great setbacks when it comes to customer satisfaction and productivity. Your answer should include an actionable plan so that both suppliers and customers remain happy and contended.  You must get in touch with the supplier or driver, understand the cause of the delay, and have an updated delivery date.  14. What is the process you would follow for finding suppliers for a large product order? These kinds of supply chain management interview questions are usually asked of experienced supply chain management professionals. Through such a question, the employer understands the process you would follow to get suppliers for a large product order.  As an experienced professional, you must have tackled such a situation of finding suppliers for a huge product order. Tell how the product team determines the supplies needed, followed by looking for existing and new suppliers.  15. Do you have experience with upstream and downstream production processes? One of employers’ favorite supply chain management questions is whether you have experience with upstream and downstream production processes. Give them the definition of upstream and downstream processes first, and tell them how you use these industry terms in practical work.  While handling the upstream process, you collaborate with the team; and for the downstream production process, you need to work with the customer service team for the best results.  16. How will you find the best suppliers for your products? Among the many SCM interview questions, this is an important one. You might be given the responsibility of finding new suppliers for the company’s products. The hiring authority wants to be sure if you are suitable for the job or not.  You can do online research to find the best suppliers for your products. If you have connections with suppliers selling similar materials, ask them about some good vendors.  17. Tell me if you have read any article or book on supply chain management and what you learned from it. Your prospective employers might want to know if you are updated and informed about the changes that are taking place in the supply chain management system. Tell them about an article or a book that you have read recently. You can tell them about articles you have read about how Big Data and Artificial Intelligence use predictive analytics to make accurate demand and route planning. There is a great improvement in supply chain management efficiencies.  18. What is your preferred kind of forecasting method? With such interview questions for supply chain management, employers try to understand your approach to forecasting product inventory and material volumes accurately.  Tell them the kind of forecasting method you often use, like the demand forecasting method.  Conclusion If you are preparing to make your career in the supply chain management industry, follow a reliable source to get supply chain management interview questions and answers pdf. Take a look at the supply chain interview questions and answers to get the hang of the types of questions the hiring managers can ask. You can make a great career in the supply chain industry by cracking the interview.  upGrad offers a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program for interested candidates A Doctorate program designed for working professionals, upGrad offers a Doctor of Business Administration program for professionals who want to give their career a new dimension with the most advanced business degree program. This course caters to the objectives and learning needs of consultants, senior business managers, and university professors.  This is a 36-month course with 70% scholarships for 5000 students, Golden Gate University alum status, 24×7 student support, industry-specific sessions, live and interactive faculty, and so on.  Apply now and give your career the wings to fly high! You can also check out our free courses offered by upGrad in Management, Data Science, Machine Learning, Digital Marketing, and Technology. All of these courses have top-notch learning resources, weekly live lectures, industry assignments, and a certificate of course completion – all free of cost!

What is Management Process?  When asked to explain the process of management, a management process refers to the series of steps undertaken to perform any activity, tasks, business goals, and operations. These steps include planning, organizing, leading, and controlling resources to manage any specific task, project, or business. Skilled managers or leaders should carry out the detailed process of management to ensure it fulfills the business requirements efficiently. The management process is vital for any organization or people aiming to accomplish any task or activity. The management focuses on primary outcomes and seeks ways to achieve optimum results. Study Management Courses online from the World’s top Universities. Earn Masters, Executive PGP, or Advanced Certificate Programs to fast-track your career. As a process, management consists of three most prominent aspects, which are as follows:  Management is an ongoing process The management process involves identifying and solving different problems by taking appropriate steps. It is a never-ending and continuous process. The management has the constant desire to accomplish different organizational goals.  Management is a social process   Since human factors are more significant than any other factors, it is the management’s responsibility to develop relationships among people to gain productivity and efficiency. Any organization cannot win through its physical, financial, and technological resources but only through its human resources.   Management is an integrating process Management is an integrated process that undertakes the responsibility of bringing out human, physical, and financial resources to achieve organizational goals and objectives.   Top 5 Importance of Management According to the management process definition, the managerial process focuses on performing tasks efficiently and effectively to achieve personal and professional goals. In every organization, there is a need for management toward smooth functioning. Without effective management, organizations cannot achieve success cannot. Some of the importance of management are listed below:  Creating a dynamic environment    The management ensures that the organization is updated with the latest trends in the industry. This helps the organization to evolve with the changing times. A dynamic environment provides various opportunities to help any business improve its performance. Efficient management in any organization can help in meeting social responsibilities towards different groups, such as employees and customers.    Achieving individual goals The management ensures that every individual in an organization is satisfied with its growth and development. They provide their employees with a safe working environment, social recognition, and a competitive salary. Therefore we see an efficient management process helps the individual to grow both personally and professionally.  Development of society  Management is not only responsible for the development of an organization, but they also help in the development of society. The developed organization helps societies grow by creating employment opportunities by providing good quality products and services.  Achieving organizational goals  In every industry, management plays a vital role in achieving organizational goals. Managers provide resources and guidance on all matters. They come up with new ideas and strategies to help organizations to accomplish their goals.   Improving efficiency  Management helps improve the organization’s efficiency by including planning, directing, and organizing functions. They focus on monitoring and optimizing the business’ various rules and processes.  Salient Features of a Management Process  The management processes comprise the following features: Management is a Team Effort  Management is a function that a single person cannot handle, requiring the consistent effort of an entire team to coordinate.  Team effort encourages you in personal growth. It helps to increase job satisfaction and also reduces the level of stress among people. All the managerial tasks, such as setting goals, creating plans and policies, putting strategies into action, and monitoring success, are the result of teamwork and efforts.   Management is Conditional  There are numerous ways of performing a task, but the circumstances determine the appropriate method of performing it. There are times when the management makes wrong decisions due to the situation. Therefore managers should be prepared for unique and unpredictable circumstances.  Highly Aspirational Management  The one important component of the management process is the accomplishment of pre-established objectives. Every management process must have a purpose. They should set the goal in mind while undertaking any tasks or projects. The achievements of any organization’s leadership are measured by how well its set goals are accomplished.  Management is Abstract  The act of management cannot be visible, nor can it be felt by any individual. You can only observe it through accomplishments and failures. Hence management is abstract in nature.  Management is versatile  Management is usually concerned with how people react in businesslike situations. Various fields like sociology, economics, mathematics, psychology, and engineering contribute to the awareness and attitude required for management. It is this feature that makes management a diverse experience. Management is an Administrative Function   The management focuses on the administration and management of people’s activities to achieve their predefined goals.  Management is Omnipresent In today’s time, every industry requires an effective management system. Be it government or corporate organizations, it is the managers who execute the same vital functions. This makes a managerial process a universal concept.    Important Functions of a Management Process  The management process functions can help managers focus on their efforts and achieve positive outcomes. The management process meaning comprises five significant functions. These management process functions include:   Planning  Planning is one of the first steps in the management process. It is crucial as the entire project or business is planned. In this step, you decide which goals, strategies, and actions are appropriate. Planning also figures out budgeting, sales planning, manpower planning, the technology required, and many other aspects. Therefore planning must be thorough for any project or business. Organizing After the planning stage, the next step is to organize the management process. In this process, the workers can coordinate together to accomplish organizational goals. To make any project or business successful, a manager must organize all the basic requirements, such as capital, machinery, technology, and people.  Leading  This management process involves the team leader or managers. They ensure that their team members across various business functions are motivated and dedicated to work. There should be transparent communication and coordination among each team member. Lastly, it is the manager’s responsibility to ensure that team members are happy with their work.   Staffing Staffing is an essential managerial function. The management recruits employees systematically for jobs within different teams and divisions. The primary purpose of staffing is to put the right person in the right job so that the employees are both satisfied and happy with their positions while delivering optimum results.    Controlling  It is the management that evaluates the achievement and has the ability to take action. So the manager must keep a constant track in order to assess the business process, the resources, and team performance. A manager must take quick and corrective action in case of any deviation. This stage is essential as it helps in attaining business goals.  Explore our MBA Programs in The US Master of Business Administration (MBA) Liverpool Business School Executive MBA From SSBM MBA course from Deakin Business School .wpdt-tc-F44336 { color: #F44336 !important;} Conclusion    Every organization should have effective management. Management as a process can be implemented on any project or business. The main concept is to plan, organize, create a team and execute the plan for the desired result. In any organization, these functions play an important role in achieving its goal and objectives. The managers are responsible for identifying the organizational goals and taking appropriate action toward their accomplishment. Various businesses are successful not due to good fortune but rather through a planned series of steps called management.  A career in management is in high demand. Various companies need skilled managers to assist their businesses for even better outcomes. If you are interested in a course that will help you better understand the management process from scratch, we suggest upGrad’s Global Doctor of Business Administration course.  By pursuing this course, you get the opportunity to obtain leadership and managerial learning from industry experts. This program is mainly for working professionals who want to grow in their careers and become leaders in their fields of business.  You can also check out our free courses offered by upGrad in Management, Data Science, Machine Learning, Digital Marketing, and Technology. All of these courses have top-notch learning resources, weekly live lectures, industry assignments, and a certificate of course completion – all free of cost!

Project management can be quite challenging and requires expert technical skills for project manager roles. It is a combination of several jobs amalgamated into one role, be it initiating, planning, performing, controlling, and closing projects. Project managers are not just responsible for planning projects but also for arranging a team and managing tasks related to said project, expenses, and time. Skilled project managers usually take the help of extensive tools for project management to keep every project aspect in order. However, despite using various software for project management, project managers as individuals require the skills and knowledge about project management to execute tasks and get them done.  Types Of Project Management Skills Project managers might require the help of additional project management tools, but they also need good project management skills. Types of project management skills have been listed below:- 1. Project Management Hard Skills: Hard skills are the technical skills acquired from education and professional training for project management. While managing a project, hard skills are integral. They are the ones that actually deliver project management expertise to the candidates in relevant roles. However, other than just technical skills, it also comprises all the know-how required in planning, scheduling, and managing projects.  2. Project Management Soft Skills: Soft skills cannot be acquired via formal education or professional training. They can constitute someone’s characteristic traits or be developed throughout the years. 3. Personality traits: These cannot be defined as skills. They are more like personality traits that are crucial for project manager roles. 10 Key Project Management Skills 1. Leadership skills The ability to lead a team is a core skill for a project manager to have. Leadership skills can be greatly influential to the rate of projects being successful. A leader must have the skill to influence, motivate and lead a team to optimize proper workflow. To help the company attain the desired result by directing the team’s energy towards the ultimate success of the assigned project. Leadership skills are not just about ordering people and expecting them to follow diligently. It is more inclined toward guiding and inspiring people to achieve greatness and reach their highest potential in their job roles. The most important task project managers need to perform is motivating the team members assigned to them. There can be various leadership styles, and each leader has their own way of leading their team. Expert leaders must adapt their style as per the requirements of the project they are leading. Leaders always strive to mitigate all constraints they or the team members might face.   2. Project Management Methodologies  Project management methodologies form the base foundation for efficient project management. Different industries are more adaptive toward different methodologies based on the project’s requirements and the available resources. As a project manager, you are required to research and determine which methodology works best for your targeted industry and strive towards becoming good at implementing it in your workplace. Various practices that have been considered the best and have paved their way to becoming the fundamental methodologies of project management are as follows:- Waterfall methodology Agile methodology Scrum PRINCE2 Lean methodology Kanban Scrumban Adapt project framework Explore our MBA Programs in The US Master of Business Administration (MBA) Liverpool Business School Executive MBA From SSBM MBA course from Deakin Business School .wpdt-tc-F44336 { color: #F44336 !important;} 3. Communication  A Project Manager must have stellar communication skills because a large percentage of their job involves communicating with company seniors, stakeholders, team members, and in some cases, even clients. Clients and stakeholders of the company have high management expectations from PMs, and they need to fulfill them to ensure the project’s success simultaneously. Management of stakeholders in projects can even become a daunting challenge. Hence, communication is an integral tool to meet success. Project managers need to master this skill to be efficient be effective in their work to avoid being inefficient and causing confusion, overbudgeting, and even missing deadlines.   Successful communication includes being able to establish a good relationship with teammates, inspire them, manage conflicts, coordinate and encourage a harmonious working environment, and most importantly, have the ability to comprehend and solve challenges that your coworkers can face. Hence, listening and understanding skills are also vital elements of communication skills.   4. Problem Solving A project can never be problem-free despite its size; therefore, a project manager’s job is to handle these problems with ease and find efficient solutions to overcome them. Problem-solving skills require you to have a structured approach to said problems, gather relevant data, find relevant information from the data and analyze in accordance. The critical and quick-thinking skills required by project managers can be enhanced and lead you to acquire the right frameworks, become more structured and increase your attention to detail. Problem-solving skills are the most important and most sought-after qualities of project managers.   Learn Management Courses from the World’s top Universities. Earn Masters, Executive PGP, or Advanced Certificate Programs to fast-track your career. 5. Data Analysis Data analysis is an in-demand skill for project management because it enables you to survey and assess the execution quality consistently. It helps measure your project’s efficiency by ensuring the required adjustments or enhancements. This skill aids in the better collection and effective analysis of data. You might also need to learn certain tools related to data analytics to enhance your decision. Some of the integral data analysis skills that you will need as a project manager are as follows:-   MS Excel: Microsoft Excel is a popular software used for data analysis and basic management tasks and is widely used by project managers worldwide. Advanced MS Excel skills that make management easier include VBA lookups, macros, pivot tables, and the like. Strong Mathematical and Statistical Skills: Having a solid base in mathematics enables you to comprehend complicated formulas and mathematical concepts such as calculus, linear algebra, and probability, which significantly helps in data analysis. Statistical skills that help understand large datasets primarily include correlation, regression analysis, factor analysis, and the like.   Data Visualisation: Most of the time, creating a visual of complicated data helps highlight important insights and makes communication easier when it comes to communicating the analysis results. 6. Planning Planning is a core skill for project management. Project managers need to be exceptional planners to strategize and prioritize project work, tasks, and workflows. Each project has limited resources, time, and budget. Efficient project managers need to plan and strategize, keeping these three factors in mind for the successful execution of the project within the time allocated to it. As a project manager, you are required to have stellar skills in time management to prioritize and allocate the right resources to each project. To ensure this, the project manager needs to comprehensively understand team members’ strengths and weaknesses and how much they can contribute. This enables the proper allocation of resources and forecasting before the execution of the project. 7. Risk Management  It is important to strategize and minimize the potential risks that can lead a project to fail. However, even though some risks cannot be eliminated, they can be minimized. An efficient project manager takes calculated risks to minimize risks. To effectively manage risks, project managers need to ensure that the potential risks are forecasted and communicated to the individuals and teams. 8. Budgeting Budgeting and financial control are two of the most integral roles of a project manager. Project managers are involved in everything from creating budget estimations, analyzing the financial limitations, chalking the expenses, negotiation, resources management, and expenditure.  9. Technology Tools It is integral to have in-depth knowledge about the right kind of technological tools that make the task of managing easier and enhance efficiency. These tools can be used for planning, documentation, collaboration, and analysis, including PowerPoint, Excel, Access, and Word.  10. Critical Thinking Critical thinking in project management is about listening, comprehending the issue, and conducting thorough research to make an informed decision. As a project manager, you need to be a critical thinker to overcome the hurdles you can potentially face in every project. Conclusion Project management, therefore, is a crucial element of most high-end businesses and organizations that deal with multiple projects. The skills required for the effective management of projects go hand in hand to see to its successful and hassle-free execution. Project managers, therefore, have handsome pay packages because of how in-demand their skills are. If you are an enthusiast of this particular field, you can sign up for the Advanced General Management Program from upGrad and upskill yourself to become an efficient and indispensable project manager.

When it comes to product management, teams tend to rely on product stacks that come loaded with dedicated tools. Such product manager tools help managers in doing the following five things-     Building roadmaps     Time tracking     Prioritization     Customer feedback     Analytics There are more such uses for product manager tools depending on the team and the project involved to simplify tasks. Product management is not a cakewalk; hence, product management tools are incorporated to enhance the process for optimum performance.  Understanding The Need For Product Management Tools Product development needs a cohesive team to begin with. The team, in turn, must have a defined objective. Once the resources are implemented in their respective roles, product management tools further assist them in doing their tasks right. Product managers must remember that every product development cycle is different from the other. However, a product management tool stack could help tackle them all if implemented in teh right manner. The biggest benefit of these management tools is that they aid team members in achieving all goals over the short or long term. The most common tool product development teams leverage helps them with processes like:-               Communicating and Collaborating– Teamwork needs solid communication. Therefore, product managers need to have a central resource to stay connected. For example, Think, Teams and Slack.               Road Mapping– From a roadmap for products to that for technology or/and marketing, product teams will always need a primary truth source for their development timeline. For example, airfocus and Zoho Sprints.               Project Tracking– For any product team, tracking individual tasks as well as stories is very much a part of the development process. Sone of the project tracking tools includes ClickUP and Jira.               Customer Surveying– As a product team, you must take up feedback directly from the existing users or test users when you are testing and developing new features. Customer surveying tools include tools like Typeform.               Heat Mapping– Heat maps help a product team understand how the end users interact with a product’s key features. Software for heat mapping aids teams in recording as well as analyzing results. For example, Mouseflow and Smartlook. Explore our MBA Programs in The US Master of Business Administration (MBA) Liverpool Business School Executive MBA From SSBM MBA course from Deakin Business School .wpdt-tc-F44336 { color: #F44336 !important;} Choosing The Product Management Tools Best For You When you pick a product management tool for the team, you must assess the scale, size, and stage of development involved with the product. For instance, a product might be pre-alpha. In that case, it might have no version available on the market. Therefore, analytics as a tool for the product will be irrelevant. Here’s what you can do to find the most suitable product manager tools. Take baby steps by reviewing the progress level of the team and then decide on the areas needing support from dedicated tools. At the next stage, you must weigh the product development budget for the best project management software or related needs. Once you have the entire budget scale in mind, you will need to understand the priority investments. Sometimes, a little bit of bootstrapping might do you good. Primarily, the chief motive must be to prioritize things around the lifecycle development. A product manager is a ninja who knows how to align people with processes and management. A product toll or even a template alone will never be able to save you if you are not sure about how to place your product. It is always in a state of discovery, and only objectives must be static. The product roadmap or the product is never static. Whenever a product manager uses any product manager tools or even the best project management software in the market, the goal remains to get close to a customer. In case managers get to reflect the preferences of consumers, as well as the market tailwinds for the products, better subscription numbers, and active users are sure to follow! Now the tricky bit is that a customer is mostly busy. This means that any meaningful data collection per their preference and habits will be tricky. With the growing demands in terms of the time of product managers, the need for product management tools and task management software is supposed to be more pronounced. Leading project management software and tool are the only way to keep product-related projects on track while also helping meet the rapidly changing demands of the market. Since each step of the product development process needs a specific tool, you need to have a grasp over the ten best product management tools needed now! airfocus- Modular Tool For Product Management Software airfocus is your top pick in this context since it is custom-made for teams to help them manage portfolios and products—both market-oriented and internal. With its platform flexibility, teams can manage user demand, prioritization, strategy, and roadmap alignment well. AXURE- Tool For Design Create quick diagrams and access custom libraries to create mock-ups with Axure. Everything gets easier with this top design or wireframing tool, from wireframes to flowcharts to idea boards and personas. Learn Management Courses from the World’s top Universities. Earn Masters, Executive PGP, or Advanced Certificate Programs to fast-track your career. ADOBE- Tool For Use Experience Get to know how your users are behaving and move on to optimize the digital experiences. The top features that are the highlights of this tool are personalized automation and UX-testing that is AI-backed. INTERACTION STUDIO-Tool For User Onboarding Tap the power of machine learning to interact with your prospects and existing users across channels. Such is the power of this tool for product managers. AMPLITUDE and PENDO- Tools For Analysis And Tracking Tools for the above purpose are sources of insight and intelligence into how users of your software or even a website engage with the product and content. While interviews and survey of customers are vital tools that let you know what a customer thinks, platforms for product analysis lets you analyze what your customers are doing. Deploying a tool such as Amplitude and Pendo will help uncover vital realities around what best resonates with users and what doesn’t work. PRODUCTPLAN-Tool For Road Mapping Software for road mapping is a must-have on the list of top product management tools. When you use a non-native application for drafting and maintaining a product roadmap, you get to create more work and also turn out to be less flexible. The ease of sharing also goes down. A viable tool in this context and purpose is ProductPlan. It helps teams quickly build and collaborate on the roadmaps for products. Product managers believe that collaborating and building visual and interactive roadmaps is a more effective way of communicating product strategy. Naturally, this helps to align teams around the product vision. MONDAY.COM- Tool For Scalability Monday.com is a popular tool for product management online. This platform enables teams of various sizes to plan, track, and manage work daily. Even if the context is enormous scope for a product roadmap or even a weekly iteration, Monday.com aids teams in gaining clear ownership. At the same time, its agile platform ensures simpler teamwork from just about anywhere. The OS for Monday.com stands built based on visual and flexible features.  These eventually come together to create an agile workflow for all team needs. Additionally, it also supports Gantt and Kanban views, milestones, task dependencies, and project analysis. WALLING- Tool Visual Organization For Project Tasks Visualize your tasks and ideas in a side-by-side mode with Walling. This is a very visual platform for product management that helps teams to organize as well as manage ideas plus tasks within clean interfaces. Idea collection and organization become a tad bit easier with Walling. You get to almost frame a picture of what your work currently looks like. You also get to access tables for databases, task lists, and Kanban view. TRELLO- Tool For Prioritizing As a product manager, the best pick among the product management tools would be one that allows you to know what possibilities are at hand while also understanding what possibility to drop! Trello is your dependable bet in this regard. Collaborating, project management, and productivity peaks—all stand guaranteed with Trello. With this at hand, forget to think about any other task management software. The Key Takeaway The primary key in this context is intentional and very clear communication. This is needed well within the internal team and all teams engaged in design and engineering. The company stakeholders, too, must be on the same page. Hence, implementing product management tools is a sure-shot way for product managers to enhance clear communication within the team and ensure quick deliveries with precision.  If you’re hoping to step into product management or upskill your product management role to climb another corporate ladder, upGrad’s Post Graduate Certificate in Product Management can be an exceptional opportunity. With a detailed curriculum curated by industry professionals, you get to keep up with the latest product management skills and tools, helping you to bag lucrative opportunities in this competitive market!

What is Management Consulting? Management consulting is ideally problem-solving in a nutshell. Today’s businesses must tackle numerous problems that can lead to various glitches in operations. The market sphere is continually evolving with the advent of technology. The ever-growing need to evolve is now a basic need to garner maximum profits. Management consulting provides the assistance required by companies to incorporate changes to enhance economic health. Management consultants have the expertise to aid clients’ companies with an optimized efficiency level by suggesting changes to improve their operations. What Does A Management Consultant Do? Management consultants are responsible for several expert-level functions like operational optimization, developing core strategies, risk advisory, deployment of new technology, and advisory on human capital. Management consultants, often called management analysts, helps organizations and government entities build strategies and execute them to bring forth profitable results that potentially increase competitiveness. To reach this goal, consultants can even recommend several strategies to help optimize operational methods to garner profits and improve efficiency. Management consultants are trained to have expert knowledge about specific industries like healthcare, education, and manufacturing. They can specialize in financial restructuring, human resources, IT, or inventory management. Management consultants associate with the leaders to assess and identify problems, gather intel, and execute strategic solutions. They work in tandem with teams in consulting firms and are usually not on the payroll. Types of Management Consultants There are several avenues on where Management consultants can choose to base their specialization.  Consultant Role Specialization Strategy Strategy consultants provide clients with advice and some business spheres, including corporate strategy, transformation, as well as innovation, and technological capabilities. Operations Operational consultants provide business advice on optimizing operational processes to enhance business capabilities. Information Technology Information technology or IT consultants aid in implementing technological solutions. Human Capital Human capital consultants help with solutions to bring about a good change in the management processes and enhance operations for handling employees better.  Financial Advisory Financial advisory consultants advise clients regarding acquisitions and mergers, restructuring businesses, as well as advice for enhancing business and economic health.   Major Roles of Management Consultants Other than the major roles associated with the particular specializations mentioned above, the general roles of management consultants are elucidated below:- Providing solutions: Management consultants, in a nutshell, enhance business operations and cater to solutions related to their business needs. Their roles mainly involve high-level implementation, strategy development, optimizing business processes and management, and introducing and implementing technology.  Documents and research: Management consulting firms emphasize producing legal documents and internally acquired research on relevant changes occurring in the business sphere and the economy in general. Management consultants are primarily involved in adding more and enhancing these pieces. Expert Advisory: Management consultants are often required to have in-depth knowledge about their field as well as the specific industry of choice they are specializing in. Specialization enables them to provide expert advice to develop optimized business solutions. They should keep abreast with all the new industrial and technological updates and changes in the industry to help both pre-existing and future clients. Explore our MBA Programs in The US Master of Business Administration (MBA) Liverpool Business School Executive MBA From SSBM MBA course from Deakin Business School .wpdt-tc-F44336 { color: #F44336 !important;} Management Consultant Duties & Responsibilities Management consultants are required to perform multifarious tasks and duties. Some of the job duties they are primarily involved in are as follows: Learn about the client’s needs: Researching to know what challenges are faced by the client’s business challenges, as well as learn about technologies to comprehend business needs. This requires them to interview company employees. Go through the internal client data: Management consultants might need to review this data of the client’s company to gain a holistic idea about their actual needs to enhance business operations. This may include financial statements, computer systems, payroll information, etc. Map out the work scope: By mapping out the scope of work in a business, management consultants can easily identify and chalk out schedules, resources, and goals to meet business needs. Communicate: Consultants are required to identify, determine and finally communicate the product as well as the results of their work to the senior stakeholders, staff, as well as internal and external project teams of the company. This is usually delivered to the client after the completion of the project. They also need to provide feedback to the management team of the company. Train personnel: Consultants also need to conduct training classes if required for employees to incorporate the necessary changes they bring about in the company. Optimize operations: Consultants must encourage quicker adoption and better utilization of the new changes and ensure the best efficiency amongst employees. Learn Management Courses from the World’s top Universities. Earn Masters, Executive PGP, or Advanced Certificate Programs to fast-track your career. Management Consultant Skills & Competencies Management consultants must have the necessary skills and competencies to ensure success in their field of work. Some mandatory skills are as follows:- Self-motivation and discipline: Management consultants are often required to perform their tasks at the client site where they cannot consult with their superiors. Therefore, they should have enough self-confidence in their skills and motivation to finish their work within time with minimal hitches in their work process. Organizational skills: Clients are significantly dependent on management consultants; therefore, they are required to be highly organized regarding their problem-solving methods. This is mainly because management consultants charge the company on a per-hour basis and should not waste their time being unproductive or unsuccessful in their method.  Analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills: Along with problem-solving skills, which is a core skill that management consultants are required to have, they also need to have the ability to process a tremendous amount of information related to the client’s organization, data analysis and in providing expert counsel and recommendations. Listening, interpersonal, and communication skills: Communication skills are a mandate for a management consultant because they need to interview the client’s employees at numerous organizational levels. They also need to be diplomatic along with efficient communication skills. Writing skills: Management consultants have to present the results of their work in report or document form or as manuals. Creating these hard copies requires excellent writing skills so that clients can easily understand and comprehend what they have presented. Time Management: Since management, consultants either work on a payment-per-hour basis or under an agreement of a fixed fee. To give clients value for their money, consultants need to be proactive consistently and manage their time efficiently to keep within the budget. Creativity: Consultants need to have flexibility and creativity to tackle situations that can potentially arise while incorporating their strategic solutions. It can be for instances like a proposed solution not working as intended or a problem that can have other circumstances that haven’t been forecasted before executing the proposed strategy. Management Consultant Salary The salary of a management consultant may depend on their field of expertise, education, experience, certifications, and others. Average Annual Salary: 83,610 USD (40.2 USD/hour) Highest 10% Annual Salary: Greater than 152,760 USD (73.44 USD/hour) Lowest 10% Annual Salary: Lesser than 48,360USD (23.25 USD/hour) Education, Training & Certification Aspirants looking to pursue a career in management consultancy will need the following:- 1. Education: Like most entry-level jobs that need a bachelor’s degree, to pursue Management consultancy, you will need a major in either of the following:- Business administration Finance Economics Psychology Marketing Management Computer or information science Accounting 2. Advanced degrees: Most employers will choose candidates with an MBA degree over ones who don’t have one. 3. Experience: Any industrial experience in the sector you want to work in will give you more leverage as a job candidate. However, if you don’t have experience, numerous consulting firms train freshers and recent graduates. 4. Certification: Although optional, a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) certification acquired from a professional certificate course will offer you an edge over other applicants Conclusion Management consultancy is a noble profession to work in not only because of the high pay package that comes with it but for the job satisfaction redeemed through it. Management consultants are in high demand because the market is constantly changing and adapting to newer technology. An Advanced General Management Program by upGrad is a great course to pursue if you want to opt for a management career. upGrad prides itself in bringing you the premium-most course. Sign up today.

It is much easier to feel a controlled sense of time in today’s time. While juggling work and personal life can get overwhelming sometimes, incorporating time management skills can significantly benefit in ensuring harmony. You can easily plan and balance your time between tasks using time management tips, Effective time management is vital for people looking forward to gaining control over tight-fitting deadlines and challenging schedules. With time management tips, one can ensure a better workplace reputation or move forward in terms of personal responsibilities. Steps to Improve Time Management Skills Below are some practical time management skills that can help you be up and running. These steps not only help you find a better version of yourself but also ensure that you work efficiently. 1. Organization Organizing tasks is the process of keeping track of one’s priorities diligently, which includes tasks like keeping accounts of every little thing. One of the main steps behind understanding an organization is analyzing the routine and estimating what tasks to do first and what to do last. An organized list guides you to increase your productivity, resulting in an efficient work process. 2. Prioritization Prioritization is a skill that requires maximum effort and time into a task or a specific set of functions. When you prioritize your goals, you make the best use of your time, thereby creating a thriving environment in your workspace and for yourself. To prioritize tasks, you need to start with a to-do list or a planner and allocate priorities. For instance, you can develop several studies and place them under labels such as —primary, secondary and non-important. It will help you rid yourself of excessive work and reduce stress. 3. Goal setting As the term suggests, goal setting is the process of setting objectives and aims to help you achieve your goals. It gives you a transparent idea of what must be done and helps you with things you can avoid to gain a better insight into your work. It is easy to get distracted without goals while facing more challenges on the way. Both short-term and long-term goals are necessary. A short-term goal may include finishing an online course or creating a savings plan. A long-term goal usually focuses on a project that requires accomplishment over months or years. 4. Planning To achieve a goal, you must devise a plan. The advantages of having a plan are many. First, planning helps you understand the nature of the project you’re hoping to take on. Secondly, planning enables you to get rid of discrepancies within. Besides, proper planning is the key to any time management skills. Planning also takes care of the time you put into accomplishing a task. 5. Delegation Delegating tasks is a practical skill set you can count within time management skills. While working on your project, you can assign or delegate tasks to your team workers. Doing this will alleviate the stress and workload of the team members. In addition, it will also ensure that one’s time is utilized effectively. 6. Communication As a team leader, you can delegate tasks to team members. Knowing the art of communication is key to any efficient time management skills. A good rapport in communication can work wonders for you. Communication improves workspace interpersonal relations and helps you gain trust around your subordinates. It is also crucial in resolving conflicts. Hence, communication is a valuable asset that is rewarding in the workspace. 7. Stress management Stress can be an overwhelming emotion when it comes to increasing work pressure. To utilize your time efficiently, you must understand how to deal with stress. Activities such as yoga, cycling, exercise, and meditation can help keep your stress under check. As an outcome, you can carry out tasks effectively without falling under the veil of stress. Learn Management Courses from the World’s top Universities. Earn Masters, Executive PGP, or Advanced Certificate Programs to fast-track your career. 8. Flexibility Not all people come equipped with natural time management skills. As a result of this, flexibility can be quite a difficult feat to achieve. However, if you decide to flaunt a flexible nature at work, you can effectively train yourself in time management. Before taking on a task, check your planner and see if you have any free time left. If it is a priority task, communicate it to your supervisor. Guide To Improve Time Management Skills Several steps can guide you towards achieving a goal or completing a task. Now that we have discussed the necessary steps one can take for effective time management, let’s move on to a broader and hands-on approach to utilizing time effectively. Set goals that are achievable. These can include pointers that tell you to complete an urgent task, learn a few lessons of a new language, or organize your closet. Remember that you can only attain your goals when you measure the time it will take you to complete a task.  Schedule tasks on your organizer. You can choose a planner of your choice. Start with your first task and assign time to it. You may not always follow the strict timings, but you can always look forward to completing a job within a short period. Prioritize tasks according to the deadline. If the task is time-based, it is vital to be aware of the deadline, without which completing the job may be a hassle. Focus on a task at any given point in time. It is essential to know that multitasking isn’t everyone’s forte. In addition, focusing on one task at a time ensures you give your one-hundred percent to a study and avoid laxity. Minimize interruptions and sources of disruption. While carrying out a task that requires most of your attention, refrain from using phones or checking notifications about emails, social media, and the like. You can also eliminate noise sources. Explore our MBA Programs in The US Master of Business Administration (MBA) Liverpool Business School Executive MBA From SSBM MBA course from Deakin Business School .wpdt-tc-F44336 { color: #F44336 !important;} Take short breaks in between completing a task. Taking breaks is one of the key ways in which you can avoid burning out. It is okay not to be productive and efficient at all hours. You must know your limit and take a break if work distresses you. Review your planner by the end of the day. When you go through your planner or organizer, you can take the liberty to feel a sense of achievement. At the same time, it helps you take care of any tasks that you didn’t achieve for that day. Utilize reinforcement learning. Using this technique, you can reward your efforts in the workspace or the personal space. Reinforcement learning ensures you know the value of a task that benefits your time and effort. Time Management Statistics A poll conducted in 2021 shows that 18% of the US population has a dedicated time management system called TMS. Others refer to timeboxing, Eat That Frog!, and the Pomodoro technique. 12% prefer a diary or a day planner, while 6% use a particular technique that caters to their best needs. Most people use the Eisenhower matrix, an established popular time management technique. In terms of conducting time audits, 49% of people lag. In the same context, 31% conduct occasional audits, while 20% conduct these audits regularly. Some common distractions that add to issues in time management in a professional workspace are chatty coworkers, impromptu meetings, long hours of social media, office noise, and the feeling of overwhelming emotions at work. These reasons contribute to reports of 80% of the employees feeling a sense of disengagement at work. Some end up spending a total of 30 days per year on email management and subsequently lose focus on checking emails regularly. Due to the same reasons, 43% of employees feel stressed out.  Conclusion While time management skills teach you the essentials crucial to a growing workspace, they can also assist you with solutions to problems that can be a significant hurdle to completing a task. Keeping calm and maintaining a set of methods or techniques to solve a problem is essential. At the same time, a professional course such as an Advance General Management Program by upGrad can further enhance your skillset, leading you to bag lucrative market opportunities in your relevant field!

Introduction  Product management primarily plays a crucial part in manufacturing-based companies. In order to identify the needs of the customers, companies hire product managers to oversee the entire product manufacturing process and ensure that the product delivers the customer needs and provides solutions to their pain points.  Perceiving their significance in an organization, product managers in the US and worldwide earn a handsome salary, resulting in high demand for the job role. However, to pursue product management as a career, one should first know about the roles and responsibilities of a product manager.  What is a Product Manager?  A product manager fuels a manufacturing company’s production process efficiently by performing product planning, development, and meeting customer goals. They also identify customer requirements and curate products accordingly.  To find the answer to what is a product manager, one needs to know exactly what does a product manager do.  This article will cover the important aspects such as the qualifications and skills required to be a product manager, how much they earn, what do product managers do, etc. How to become a Product Manager? Here are the steps to becoming a product manager: # Step 1: One has to complete their basic education by getting a bachelor’s degree in a relevant program. Degrees such as engineering and business management can be a good start. However, they must attain a minimum of 50% aggregate irrespective of their chosen degree.  # Step 2: Gaining work-related experience is preferably the next step. If one is certain about the industry they want to work in as a product manager, they may join any entry-level position in that industry and gain experience of at least 3 to 5 years.  # Step 3: After gaining sufficient work experience, one can opt for higher education, such as an MBA in product management. Such a degree can make one knowledgeable regarding more minute aspects of product management.  # Step 4: Those who don’t want to go with the previous step can also opt for certification courses in the relevant field, which is equally helpful.  Learn Management Courses from the World’s top Universities. Earn Masters, Executive PGP, or Advanced Certificate Programs to fast-track your career. What is the average salary of a Product Manager?  The average salary of a product manager based in the US is around $13,306  per annum. However, the salary can range anywhere from $3K to $52K per annum based on years of experience. The salary may also vary depending on your work location. Individuals can go for higher pay as product managers by changing employers, upskilling themselves, and gaining more experience.  What Does a Product Manager Do?  Playing an essential role in a product’s lifecycle, product managers play several daily duties to fulfill their jobs. To find a precise answer to what do product managers do? one needs to understand a product lifecycle and stakeholder involvement.  A product manager aims to oversee the entire product development process and analyze whether or not the outcomes have met the business goals. Product managers also play a significant role in bridging the gap between the different teams working on the different stages of product development. Therefore, a product manager must have the ability to build strong cohesion amongst the cross-functional teams.  Below are the day-to-day responsibilities of a product manager.  1. Creating production plans and roadmaps: Planning works as a blueprint for any plan before its initiation. As a product manager, you are responsible for planning and road mapping the production process using the company vision and keeping the desired outcomes in mind.  This process requires the product manager to collect information and feedback from the customers and the company. Collaborating with cross-functional teams, a product manager uses this data to predict future outcomes for the product. Product managers look into the product backlogs and determine which features are required in the product.  2. Identifying and analyzing customer needs: A product manager’s most critical responsibilities include analyzing the customers’ needs. They search out, gather and prioritize the customers’ needs and add features to a product accordingly.  To create a satisfying user experience, product managers often take part in various customer experience interviews and gather valuable customer feedback. They then incorporate those experiences and feedback into the products to make them more likable to the customers. This specific task is a crucial part of a product manager’s role as it helps identify the pain points that the product often overlooks. 3. Being the representative of the consumers: As a product manager, one is responsible for being the advocate of the customers and addressing their needs. Their job is to find any fault in the product or if it is correctly serving the targeted market.  Often, what the engineer builds might not come across as the easiest solution, or the consumers may not find it as helpful as the manufacturer. In such cases, a product manager acts as the bridge between the two and eliminates confusion by testing the product efficiency. 4. Forming teams: Creating a product requires the association of multiple cross-functional teams. Apart from creating, launching, and making a product successful, the contribution of various departments such as designing, engineering, marketing, sales, customer service, etc., is imperative. A product manager must ensure that all the teams are in sync and meeting the customer goals. For this, a product manager has to have good communication skills so that everyone in every team stays on the same page regarding following the overall product vision.  5. Testing products: Once the product prototypes are ready, the product manager needs to curate various testing programs that examine various aspects of the product. This ensures that the product meets all the customer expectations. Most product managers use the agile framework to perform this task and make adjustments. These testing processes also help in improving the products for future iterations.  6. Making improvements: Apart from developing products from scratch, product managers are often responsible for improving or upgrading an existing product to align with the current customer goals.  Therefore, the product manager must perform constant customer research to determine what iterations must be made to make the product meet current customer needs.  7. Keeping records:  Product managers are also responsible for providing complete reporting and documentation in the form of business cases, market research documents, product roadmaps, etc. They may also be required to do competitor analysis, product comparison, and so forth to effectively convey the customer needs and keep records of them.  Skills Required to be a Product Manager  A successful production manager must have an array of skills to perform their duties up to the expectations. Some of the most important skills include: 1. Communication Skills:  As a production manager, one has to often communicate with a large variety of people from different levels of an organization. Therefore good communication skills to adapt to each requirement is a necessity, 2. Leadership Quality:  To convey the customer needs and correctly incorporate them into the products, a product manager has to keep a close eye on every cross-functional team. Hence, one has to show good leadership qualities by motivating and guiding the workers.  3. Critical Thinking and Problem-solving:  Identifying the pain points of a product and how they can be solved requires critical thinking abilities. Product managers often have to alter existing products according to the customers’ current needs, needing them to brainstorm regularly.  4. Eye for details and knowledge of operations  A product manager needs to pay attention to every small and large detail of a product. Therefore, having an eye for details is a must. A product manager must have a sound understanding of the operations to regulate the process with full efficiency. 5. Being a product specialist  Besides managing a product’s lifecycle, It is very much expected that a product manager must also be a product specialist who knows about the industry market and product. As product specialists, they should know the roadmap of overall product strategy, be able to prioritize features in the backlog, and correctly interpret customer feedback.  Explore our MBA Programs in The US Master of Business Administration (MBA) Liverpool Business School Executive MBA From SSBM MBA course from Deakin Business School .wpdt-tc-F44336 { color: #F44336 !important;} 6. Being a business specialist: Product managers ar responsible for every minor and major requirement of a product, starting from allocating the budget to understanding the stakeholders of the product. Therefore, they must possess strong business skills as well for effective product management.  Conclusion  From overseeing the production process to looking after the customer needs and managing cross-functional teams, a product manager works as the backbone of any manufacturing facility. Hence the job also requires the person to have product knowledge, business skills, and leadership qualities.  upGrad’s Product Management Certification Course offers an exceptional opportunity to bag leading product management roles with its unique program that extends a detailed curriculum with industry-relevant skills. Sign up now to learn more!