The post-pandemic work environment has led to a renewed focus on self management skills. But even before Covid, practically any employee could benefit from developing their ability to work independently. To help workers at any level be more autonomous, L&D programs provide a range of solutions. 

What Are Self Management Skills?

In the workplace, self management skills enable employees to function with minimal input from superiors or assistance from peers. 

The level at which any worker is independent will vary according to their role. An engineer on a team may need to meet frequently with, and get input from, other engineers. In comparison, a salesperson might create all of their own leads and conduct the entire sales cycle. However, there are certain basic self management skills that all employees should grasp.

Why Are Their Benefits?

Self management is beneficial both for organizations and employees.

One of the main goals of any hiring process is to ensure that the employee will be successful in their role. “Successful” includes the assumption that they will require minimum guidance. An employee who needs constant corrections, reminders, and explanations is a drain on resources.

At the same time, employees greatly prefer the approval of management. An employee who attracts negative attention is often as unsatisfied as their managers are. Constructive criticism is a part of the employee-manager relationship, but after a certain point, it is up to the worker to ensure good performance. This can be accomplished through self management skills. 

Developing Self Management Skills

The emphasis on self management skills has increased since the onset of COVID. With so many people working from home and without a normal management presence, the burden of responsibility has fallen directly onto workers. 

Self management skills tend to fall within other categories of skills related to, for example, productivity and time management. For this reason, the types of development programs that are used for these specific skills can also be applied to self management skills. 

One important factor to note is accountability. At least some self management skill gaps are caused by the individual lacking the resources to change what can be personal habits. With a coach, however, the employee gains a greater sense of accountability that can greatly increase the chances of them reaching their skill development goals. Accountability Coaches and Results Coaches are professionals who specialize in handling exactly these types of issues. 

Examples of Self Management Skills

Focus. Distractions are a major concern; 75% of employers state that employees lose two hours a day of working time as a result. Learning how to concentrate and avoid distractions can lead to more time spent on important tasks. Focus is also a central component of time management. 

Time Management

‍This includes many elemental skills such as planning, scheduling, prioritizing, dealing with stress, and record keeping. One benefit of proper time management is increased relaxation – US companies lose $65 billion each year due to sleep-deprived workers.  

Organization

‍Remembering file locations, arranging a logical meeting schedule, and submitting tasks on time are all the results of an organized work life. Poor organizational skills account for almost 10% of wasted time for the average employee.  

Mindfulness

‍In a workplace setting, mindful employees are cognizant of the demands of their tasks and scheduling, and understand when to say ‘no’ to more tasks. 

Professionalism

‍A professional attitude implies task ownership, emotional control, and the taking of initiative. This skill can exist regardless of whether the employee is considered a ‘professional’ because even part-time shift workers can act in a professional manner. 

Let GrowthSpace Lead Your Self Management Skill Development

With a global network of world-class L&D experts, GrowthSpace’s L&D platform helps employees at all organizational levels find and work with coaches to enhance their self management skills. Through its comprehensive database, GrowthSpace connects people with professionals who are experienced in the latest coaching concepts and self management techniques. With its technology-based approach to soft skills training ,GrowthSpace is the leading choice for organizations in need of a new approach to building effective L&D programs.