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Concept Version 13
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Conceptual Thought

Conceptual thought involves seeing the important elements in any situation and, according to Rober Katz, is the key management skills.

Learning Objective

  • Explain the managerial need for conceptual skills


Key Points

    • People who are able to see the key elements in any situation can see the enterprise as a whole, see the relationship between the various parts, understand their dependence on each other, and recognize that changes in one part will influence the others.
    • Conceptual skills are likened to a "helicopter mind," meaning that one is able to rise above a problem and see it in context.
    • These skills are not critical for lower-level mangers, gain importance for middle-management and are essential for the success of higher-level managers.

Terms

  • design

    To plan and carry out (a picture, work of art, construction etc. ).

  • conceptual

    Of, or relating to concepts or mental conception; existing in the imagination.


Example

    • Using their conceptual skills, manager are able to study a situation and figure out how to break it down into manageable pieces. When a project just begins, for example, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the work and decisions associated with getting it done. A manager using their conceptual skills will be able to resist getting tangled in the tasks and information associated with the project and instead tackle it in a clear and organized manner.

Full Text

A scheme of management skills was suggested by Robert L. Katz (1986) in the Harvard Business Review. Katz, who was interested in the selection and training of managers, suggested that effective administration rested on three groups of basic skills, each of which could be developed. Katz saw conceptual skills as being the ability to see the significant elements in any situation.

Conceptual skills of a manager

Conceptual skills are probably some of the most important management skills.

Conceptual skills are probably some of the most important management skills. There are some very basic principles behind conceptual skills. The inputs by people who are hired especially for their exceptional conceptual skills often influence the decision-making process in an organization, be it about a simple thing like a change in the employees dress code, to something as big as a revamped advertising campaign for a product.

Seeing the elements involves being able to:

  • See the enterprise as a whole
  • See the relationships between the various parts
  • Understand their dependence on one another
  • Recognize that changes in one part affect all the others

This ability also extends to recognizing the relationship of the individual organizations to the political, social, and economic forces of the nation as a whole. This has since been called the "helicopter mind," that is, being able to rise above a problem and see it in context. These conceptual skills are likely to be demonstrated by a manager or executive higher in the organization. Indeed, at these higher levels of management, organizations require these skills.

Conceptual skills are not critical for lower-level supervisors but gain in importance at the middle-management level. At the top management level, conceptual and design abilities are especially valuable

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