The most important competencies that I believe are needed to be effective in preparing supervisors/managers for in the 21st Century are: leadership; relating with employees, families, and significant others; listening skills; time management; ethical issues; and rewarding employees. All of these are competencies are in the beginning stages of evolving into new supervisor/management skills. Supervisors and Managers certainly need to start preparing for the 21st century. Leadership in the 21st Century for supervisors/managers will create a more demanding role. For example, any person in a management position will need to be well rounded and be ready for a multitude of new ways to communicate with employees. This is due to more jobs being done out of home offices, which means less involvement in employees daily tasks. A manager would be looking to hire individuals who are capable of working independently from an off-site location. In moving into a more virtual office setting, managers will need to learn to successfully manage employees with use of new technology, for example virtual meetings and email. My personal experiences with leadership are those of a typical extravert. I very much like to see and greet people, versus doing things through telephone, voicemail, or email. Presently, I have little involvement in the daily tasks the four employees that I manage. My main mode of communication with employees is done through the telephone, internet, and at lunch meetings. The Chief Executive Officer at my company offers words of my success for keeping up with my employees. I often read books which offer new ideas for improving my leadership skills. I am also registered to take a seminar on Leadership in February 2001. Relating with employees, families, and significant others in the 21st Century is certain to be an important role for supervisors/managers. Managers now need to know how their company handles fami...
