Types of Managers and Steps in Management - Essay Example

Types of Managers and Steps in Management Managers – the individuals in an organization who direct the actions of their underlings. One is likely to encounter them no matter what line of work he enters. Some of us may even aspire for managerial positions ourselves. So, the first question is… What is a manager? First of all, it should be noted that there are 3 types of managers: those at the top are the bosses of the entire organization. The middle managers, meanwhile, presumably handle entire divisions. They relay messages back and forth between the top and the first-line managers, those directly in charge of their respective departments. These managers in particular are the ones who most of us are familiar with, as unless we are lucky enough to land a top job right away, we will be under these guys. If something comes up in the department, they are usually the first to know – being in charge, they should be. As the title implies, a manager is expected to supervise - to manage – his department and his subordinates. Specifically, he is expected to get things done efficiently (minimum cost, maximum output) and effectively (attaining goals and doing the right things). This means that it is highly desirable to attain one’s goals while using the least possible amount of resources. This process is called management. The first step in management is to plan – to set goals, come up with a strategy, and develop plans to coordinate abilities. This answers the questions of what you want, how you plan to get it, and what you will do to get it. The next step is to organize, that is, the manager then delegates tasks to his subordinates, decides how tasks are to be grouped and what needs to be done. In this step, it is important to take into account who is best suited to handle certain tasks. For instance, if your plan calls for the use of print ads, hire a graphic artist – or better yet, find someone on the team who has talent in that area. This step is where a manager’s interpersonal skills are needed most. As he is expected to know his subordinates relatively well, this is an important decision one must take great caution in making – and which one has absolutely no excuse for fumbling. Next would be to lead one’s subordinates – that is, to motivate them, direct them, choose an effective means of communication, and resolve conflicts should they arise. Finally, to control – monitoring performance, comparing it with company goals, and making changes when necessary. On the whole, these two steps are likely among the biggest reasons why an aspiring manager needs good leadership skills; subordinates are more likely to follow those who know what they are doing. Not to mention, good decision-making skills are needed, particularly in the controlling phase. As the manager is in charge, the blame will be on him should something go wrong. Managerial roles, meanwhile, are classified into interpersonal, informational and decisional. The interpersonal aspect involves public relations and dealing with outside contacts. More importantly, the manager works with his team on a personal level – after all, since he is in charge, it is highly important that the work of his subordinates reflects his work. The informational aspect focuses on monitoring information, and disseminating it to employees and potential customers and business partners alike. Finally, the decisional aspect – as would be implied, calls for the manager to be an entrepreneur, handle disturbances, allocate resources, and negotiate when necessary. While a manager’s job is, generally speaking, to take charge and lead his team members, exactly what he does may vary depending on his line of work and his position on the organizational tree. Obviously, for example, a middle manager’s job is more demanding than that of a first-line manager, and the stakes will be correspondingly higher. Also important are the type and size of organization. Whether or not one works in a commercial enterprise, and depending on how big an organization is, a manager’s duties could vary greatly. A manager is also expected to have good conceptual, interpersonal, technical and political skills. That is, first of all, he is supposed to have more than a good grasp on how things work, to make the most of what is available, and to come up with his plans accordingly. Also, as earlier mentioned, he needs to be able to work well with his subordinates and to get them to work well with each other. Last but not least, he must also be able to make connections with those who matter most, establishing his power base in the process. On the whole, the study of management gives us a closer look into how organizations work – what their priorities and goals are, for example. As stated above, we are sure to encounter management (or even be part of it) if and when we apply for a job. Information really is power; the more we know about management, the more ready we will be for it. And besides, better management results in better organizations. I specifically chose to write about this topic because of how, generally speaking, we are all managers in a small way, one way or another. That is, we need to be able to manage ourselves before we can aspire to manage others. This is why people with known issues are unlikely to land a place in management. For instance, we set goals for ourselves and work toward them. Since inevitably, some of us may find our interest and drive waning along the way, we need to constantly remind ourselves what it is we want, and just how badly we want it. If we lose focus on our goals, we’re bound to fail, sometimes horribly. Sometimes we miss an important point, and end up messing up our whole endeavor because of it. As one of my former teachers put it, “If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail.” Also worth noting is that, at the same time, we are all managed by other people in some way or another. Among those who fall under this are our parents, teachers, bosses, and even God, for those who believe in Him. While it is true that we are mostly responsible for managing ourselves, it is also important that there are other people looking out for and guiding us, too. Even we can only do so much for ourselves. And should we have trouble, it helps if someone has your back. For example, due to a personal tragedy four years ago, I lost sight of my goals and, in the process, ended up taking summer school. Even after that I still hadn’t recovered, until my senior year. It was then that I met my teacher who gave me the counseling I needed to get back on my feet. Even to this day, he still serves as one of my closest confidants. Another, more recent example took place just a few months ago. Due to some conflict I ran into with someone important to me (we were at risk of falling out), and how badly I took it, I lapsed into a brief bout of alcoholism and delinquency. That is, I skipped a week’s worth of classes and instead stayed at home, drinking. In this case, the person who snapped (more like slapped, actually) me out of my funk was a friend of mine, a girl. The talking-to/chewing-out she gave me that time effectively got me out of my depression; in fact, things have been going better than ever since that day. These incidents, I believe, are very good examples of what happens when one loses sight of his goals, gives in to despair and lets it affect his day-to-day performance. And more importantly, they show how important it is that we have other people around to manage – to guide us. Looking ahead, I can also see that such skills will also be important when I leave school to get a job. For instance, I aspire to be the head of a call center. Call centers, as we all know, are among the most demanding and stressful jobs currently known to man. As the head, it would then fall to me to handle my subordinates, the call center agents who end up taking so much crap from disgruntled customers. In short, as the head, I will be expected to take care of them not only as a boss, but as a friend and confidant; that I also had experience as a peer counselor will probably help, as well. Just because managers are expected to have the qualities detailed above does not mean we all won’t need them, as well. It only means that these guys are better at these areas than most other people, which is why they are given positions of responsibility and authority. But the truth is that all of us need such skills and not just a select few. As explained above, someone incapable of managing even just himself is hardly qualified to manage an entire department. And should his higher-ups make the mistake of assigning such a person to a managerial position, the consequences will not at all be pretty. Evidently, the higher-ups of most if not all successful companies realize this too – which is why such an incident rarely if ever happens. My conclusion, therefore, is that the concept of management is more far-reaching than most of us have come to expect. Not only does it apply to the business world, but even and especially to how we live our daily lives. We can all be said to be the managers of our own lives, but that we also have managers of our own to report to. And as a Catholic, I would like to add one last thing: if we make God our most important Boss, and dedicate all our efforts to His greater glory, He will reward all our efforts with success. 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