The Roles of Management

THE ROLES OF MANAGEMENT What is Management?  Management is the process of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling to pursue organizational goals  Managers get work done through others even if not doing hands-on work themselves  Quality of management critical - can inspire employees or destroy morale Interpersonal Roles  Building relationships inside and outside the company  Networking to foster connections  Communicating information up, down, and across organization  Social media changing nature of communication  More open, conversational, immediate  Enables managers to better connect with employees and customers Informational Roles  Gathering information to make decisions  Communicating information to employees, other managers, stakeholders  Staying in touch with frontline operations vital Decisional Roles  Making range of decisions, from routine to rare, strategic calls  Pushing decisions down to empower employees at their level  Exploring cognitive automation to augment manager decision-making The Planning Function Steps in Strategic Planning 1. Define company purpose and values 2. Assess strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis) 3. Develop forecasts of future business conditions 4. Analyze the competition 5. Establish long-term goals and short-term objectives 6. Create action plans to reach goals Articulating Purpose and Values  Mission statement defines why company exists, what it aims to accomplish  Values statement identifies guiding principles for decisions and behaviors  Stakeholders increasingly expect companies to stand for something beyond profits SWOT Analysis  Inventory of internal strengths and weaknesses  Assessment of external opportunities and threats  Informs goal setting by revealing current abilities and potential obstacles Developing Forecasts  Predicting future business conditions essential but difficult  Quantitative forecasts based on historical data and statistical models  Qualitative forecasts rely more on manager intuition and judgment  Neither method foolproof; both useful together Analyzing Competition  Pinpoint opportunities and threats by assessing competitors' SWOTs  Keep customer perspective foremost Goals and Objectives  Goals are broad, long-range accomplishments to attain  Objectives are short-range targets that build toward goals  SMART criteria: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound Action Plans  Detailed plans to reach goals, organized hierarchically  Cover single projects up to multiyear departmental initiatives  Opportunity for managers to demonstrate skills by delivering on plans The Organizing Function Management Hierarchy  Top managers - Establish structure, make long-term plans  Middle managers - Translate strategy into actions  First-line managers - Supervise frontline employees Top Managers  Highest level, overall responsibility  Titles include CEO, CFO, VP  Make long-term strategic decisions  Represent company externally Middle Managers  Oversee specific divisions or facilities  Develop plans to implement goals  Coordinate work of first-line managers  Play "glue" role keeping company aligned First-Line Managers  Direct supervisors of frontline employees  Implement plans from above  Ensure work meets standards  Handle employee relations and development The Leading Function What is Leadership?  Guiding and motivating people toward goals  Inspires people more than management does  Involves personal power more than position power leadership Intelligence  Cognitive - Problem-solving, rational skills  Emotional - Awareness and management of emotions  Social - Grasping social situations and group dynamics Leadership Styles  Autocratic - Manager makes decisions  Democratic - Manager involves team in decisions  Laissez-faire - Employees make own decisions  Effective leaders adapt approach as needed Other Leadership Responsibilities  Coaching - Help employees overcome obstacles  Mentoring - Guide less experienced colleagues  Managing change - Unfreeze status quo, implement change, refreeze new behaviors Organizational Culture  Values, norms, practices that shape employee attitudes and behaviors  Leaders establish expectations and act as role models  Positive cultures encourage good decisions; negative cultures lead to problems  Hybrid work requires active effort to maintain unified culture Key Takeaways  Managers play vital interpersonal, informational, and decisional roles  Planning requires strategic analysis and detailed tactical plans  Organizing puts people and resources in place to execute plans  Leading keeps workforce motivated and aligned with strategy and culture