management
Chapter 1: managers in the workplace
Tip for time management:
1. Make a list of all your goals.
2. Rank your goals according to importance.
3. List the tasks necessary to achieve your goals.
4. Divide the tasks into categories of: important and urgent,
important/urgent, not important nor urgent.
5. Schedule your tasks according to the priorities you’ve set.
6. Plan your to do list each day.
7. Realize that priorities may change as your day or week proceeds.
8. Remember that your goal is to manage getting your work done as
efficiently and effectively as possible.
1.1 WHY are managers important?
1. Organizations need their managerial skills and abilities: especially
in uncertain, complex and chaotic times. Managers play an important role
in identifying critical issues and crafting responses.
2. Managers are critical to getting things done: they create and
coordinate the workplace environment and work systems so that others
can perform those tasks. When work isn’t getting done or isn’t getting
done right they find out why and get things back on track.
3. Managers do matter to organizations: the most important variable in
employee productivity and loyalty is the relationship with their direct
supervisor. They way a company manages and engages its people can
significantly affect its financial performance.
1.2 WHO are managers and where do they work
who is a manager?
It isn’t as easy to differentiate managers from no managerial employees
anymore. In many organizations, the changing nature of work has blurred the
distinction. Many non managerial jobs now include managerial activities.
Manager: someone who coordinates and oversees the work of other people so
organizational goals can be accomplished.
Their job is about helping others do their work. They can also have work duties
not related to coordinating other peoples work.
First-line manager: manages the work of non managerial employees who
typically are involved with producing the product or servicing the customers of
the organization. (supervisor, shift manager, district manager, department
manager, office manager)
Middle manager: manages the work of first-line managers. (regional
manager, project leader, store manager, division manager)
, Top manager: responsible for making organization-wide decisions and
establishing the plans and goals that affect the entire organization. (executive
vice president, president, managing director, chief operating officer, chief
executive officer)
Some organizations are more loosely configured, with work done by ever-
changing teams of employees who move from one project to another as work
demands arise. But they need someone with a managerial role.
Where do managers work?
Organization: a deliberate arrangement of people to accomplish some specific
purpose.
Characteristics:
- Distinct purpose: typically expressed through the organization’s goals.
- Deliberate structure: they develop this and in this the members work.
- Composed of people: it takes people to perform the work that’s necessary
for the organization to achieve its goals.
More organizations are flexible, but a little structure is always necessary.
1.3 WHAT do manager do?
Management: coordinating and overseeing the work activities of others so their
activities are completed efficiently and effectively.
Efficiency: getting the most output from the least amount of inputs or resources.
Effectiveness: doing the right things, or doing those work activities that will
result in achieving goals.
Efficiency is concerned with the means and effectiveness with the ends.
Management functions
Planning: setting goals, establishing strategies and developing plans to
coordinate activities.
Organizing: determining what needs to be done, how it will be done and
who is to do it.
Leading: motivating, leading, and any other actions involved in dealing
with people.
Controlling: monitoring activities to ensure that they are accomplished as
planned.
(the order can change)
Mintzberg’s managerial roles and a contemporary model of managing
Managerial roles: specific actions or behaviours expected of and exhibited by a
manager. We look at the expectations and responsibilities associated with the
person in that role.
- Interpersonal roles: involve people and other ceremonial and symbolic
duties. (figurehead, leader, liaison)
- Informational roles: involve collecting, receiving and disseminating
information.
(monitor, disseminator, spokesperson)
- Decisional roles: involve making decisions or choices.