Developing Managerial Skills in Organizational Behavior

Attending school may be a great option for developing organizational behavior skills.

Developing managerial skills in organizational behavior is the study, as well as, the application of information regarding the way individuals and groups act within organizations. You will need to develop a keen understanding for how people of different backgrounds think. Typically, this course is offered to MBA degree candidates to help them become well-rounded managers. However, this skill can be obtained through certificates or seminars. In order to become proficient in developing this skill, you should learn about psychology and motivation in the workplace.

Things You'll Need

• Training (i.e., MBA, certificate, seminar)
• Case studies

Instructions

1. Enroll in college or another formal training (i.e., seminar) to gain the latest strategies and knowledge in developing skills regarding organizational behavior for an ever increasing global economy. Complete case studies to gain real-world examples of how to apply the knowledge. In essence, you can expect to learn about cultures and psychology theories. Online colleges may offer the most flexibility, and certificates are available in this concentration as well.

2. Learn the four major models or frameworks for organizations. Autocratic (authority driven), custodial (benefit driven), supportive (recognition) and collegial (partnership driven) are the major models to consider. Keep in mind that one model tends to be the predominate one and the rest may overlap within an organization. Understanding this unique situation at your own workplace is a factor when developing skills in organizational behavior. You will know what motivates the employees and how to manage them better based on their behavior responses toward the models.

3. Consult with seasoned executives that have expertise using managerial organizational behavior. SCORE (Counselors to America's Small Business) is a resource to use when looking for a mentor to help guide your progress in developing managerial skills in organizational behavior. Attempt to find someone in your industry to enhance your managerial development. As an alternative, you may turn to social networks such as LinkedIn to locate organization behavior experts.

4. Intern in a department at your current job or another place to apply skill sets developed. For example, you should try to solve disputes that deal with human resources. You can demonstrate your newly developed managerial skills by creating policies that benefit the employer and workers alike. Remote work days for workers too ill to come in could be an option. This would decrease time away from being productive and give workers an opportunity to maintain sick leave hours.

References

• Don Clark: Leadership and Organizational Behavior
• SCORE
• The Aspen Institute: "Organizational Behavior"