Depending on the level of management, a manager’s functions can engage three different types of skills – technical, human, and conceptual. Firstly, technical skills are necessary to ensure the manager’s understanding of the primary procedures within the job. Next, human skills are required on all management levels as they refer to the nature of a manager’s job in the ability to work with people. Lastly, conceptual skills are necessary for top-level management as they allow the managers to plan activities for the organization. Furthermore, conceptual skills are used to promptly troubleshoot issues that violate the initial plan and affect the organization’s work.
The reason conceptual skills are less important for lower-level management is sourced in the power mismatch. Managers from higher levels require conceptual skills to define the organization’s vision and mission and create a plan for the organization’s future. In the lower level management, the managers do not have the authority to change the organization’s vision and plans. Therefore, their functions focus on conveying the upper management’s vision and plans to employees. Thus, conceptual skills can be helpful for low-level managers in better understanding the upper management’s plans and more effective interpretation of those plans for employees.