Are You Management Material?

Survey: To Be the Boss, You Need to Show You Can Motivate Others

TORONTO, Feb. 5, 2015 /CNW/ - Want to move into a management role? It takes more than business savvy and decision-making skills, research by The Creative Group suggests. When advertising and marketing executives were asked to name the most important factor they consider when promoting professionals to management positions, more than half (53 per cent) said they look for candidates with strong motivational or leadership skills. Interpersonal or soft skills followed, with 19 per cent of the response.

The national study was developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service for interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on 400 telephone interviews -- 200 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees and 200 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees.

Advertising and marketing executives were asked, "In your opinion, which of the following factors weighs most heavily when your company promotes professionals to management positions?" Their responses:

Motivational or leadership skills	53%
Interpersonal or soft skills	19%
Strategic business expertise	13%
Technical expertise	8%
Seniority or tenure with the company	7%
	100%

View an infographic of the research results.

"It takes much more than strong technical ability when looking to transition into management positions," said Deborah Bottineau, senior regional manager of The Creative Group. "Professionals looking to obtain leadership roles need to be able to look past their to-do list as they inspire, engage and support their team members to work towards organizational goals."

The Creative Group outlines five key traits for those seeking a promotion to a supervisory role:

1. Vision. A sharp understanding of where your business is going is essential to success. Great leadership relies on a clear vision of the future as well as the ability to inspire others toward your goals.
2. Focus. Effective managers keep their eyes fixed on the prize. They know when to sacrifice short-term wins to pursue bigger-picture objectives.
3. Creativity. The most successful leaders share a willingness to turn established business practices on their heads and foster a culture of smart risk-taking. A passion to innovate and advance the company overrides their fear of failure.
4. Flexibility. Good managers know change in the workplace is constant and that agility is central to getting ahead. This means they can pivot at a moment's notice to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.
5. Resilience.Sometimes the act of striving toward business goals means you will fail. The best bosses can bounce back and turn a setback into a well-timed gain.

About The Creative Group
The Creative Group (TCG) specializes in placing a range of highly skilled interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals with a variety of firms on a project and full-time basis. More information, including online job-hunting services, candidate portfolios and TCG's blog, can be found at creativegroup.com. Follow www.twitter.com/RobertHalf_CAN for additional workplace and hiring trends.

SOURCE The Creative Group

Naz Araghian, 416.865.2140, [email protected]