Management is the management of an entity, whether it’s a private company a public not-for-profit organisation, or governmental agency. Managers are in charge of the organization’s policies, plans and programmes and are responsible for its direction and management. In short management is about leadership. Today’s economic climate has caused a significant shift in the type of organisations with which they interact, and the level of sophistication involved in decision making and program management.
Management differs from other types of organisations in a number of ways. Firstly, unlike most organisations, management is generally elected, generally by the members of an organisation. Management also has an official face, the manager or chief executive officer, who heads up the team of directors that control the policies, programs and strategies of the organisation. The chief executive officer is usually elected for a fixed term of two years, but can also serve for a longer period of time as needed. Furthermore, unlike most organisations, management does not have a single leader, but instead there are often several top managers at any one time. Finally, unlike many organizations, there is no single leadership structure within management, with the different top managers reporting to the same manager, and there are rarely any checks and balances as such.
A manager is seen as being an integral part of the organization’s strategy, program and planning, as well as being the driving force behind the day-to-day activities and decision making. However, because managers have such a key role in the organization, and because the term ‘manager’ itself carries a certain amount of professional connotations, most of us tend to misjudge the abilities and skill sets required to be a good manager. In this article I’ll briefly explore some of the key skills required for managers, as well as what qualities are required if you’re going to get things done.
Managers have an essential role in defining the organizational culture and direction. Directing and organizing work is an essential part of creating value in the organisation. Managing people however, is an emotional task. In order to manage people effectively, you need to be able to build trust and confidence in them. Trust and confidence are essential building blocks of organizational success, but if you have neither then building it can be difficult.
Human resources are an integral part of any successful organization. As the organization becomes more complex, the human resources need to grow and expand to keep up. Similarly, while firing employees is a popular strategy to change an organization in a changing environment, it can also lead to significant backlash against the employee, their families, and their other co-workers. Therefore, human resources is critical to keeping morale high and getting everyone on the same page. This is especially true when changing environments require quick and extreme reactions.
Communication is another key skill required by managers in a changing environment. Communication can either be done through individual channels such as individual emails or phone calls, or group channels such as meetings or conference calls. Communication also includes networking and soliciting feedback from other individuals within the organization as well as external partners. Communication skills are also needed by managers in the public administration area. Public administration refers to senior management and other managers that act as a spokesperson for an organization.