Henry Mintzberg identified ten specific roles that managers play, which are
grouped into three main categories. Here are the sub-types for each:
---
### **1. Interpersonal Roles**
These roles focus on building and maintaining relationships with people both
inside and outside the company.
* **Figurehead:** You act as a symbolic leader. You perform social or legal
duties, like signing documents or greeting visitors.
* **Leader:** You are responsible for the motivation and direction of your
subordinates. This includes hiring, training, and encouraging your team.
* **Liaison:** You maintain a network of outside contacts who provide favors
and information. You act as the link between your team and the rest of the
world.
---
### **2. Informational Roles**
These roles involve the gathering, receiving, and communicating of information.
* **Monitor:** You constantly look for information. You scan the environment,
talk to contacts, and read reports to understand what is happening.
* **Disseminator:** You take the information you gathered and share it with
members of your organization who might not otherwise have access to it.
* **Spokesperson:** You transmit information about your organization’s plans,
policies, or results to people outside your department or company.
---
### **3. Decisional Roles**
These roles involve making significant choices that affect the organization.
* **Entrepreneur:** You search for opportunities and start "improvement
projects" to bring about positive change or innovation.
* **Disturbance Handler:** You take charge when the organization faces
unexpected roadblocks or crises, like a strike, a broken contract, or a supply
shortage.
* **Resource Allocator:** You decide who gets what. This includes managing
the budget, scheduling work, and authorizing important decisions.
* **Negotiator:** You represent the organization at major negotiations, such as
reaching a deal with a supplier or settling a contract with a union.---
## **2. Essential Management Skills**
Robert L. Katz proposed that managers need three basic sets of skills:
* **Technical Skills:** This is the job-specific knowledge needed to perform
tasks. These are most important for **lower-level managers** who oversee the
actual production of goods or services.
* **Interpersonal (Human) Skills:** This is the ability to work well with other
people, both individually and in groups. These are **equally important for all
levels** of management.
* **Conceptual Skills:** This is the ability to think about complex and abstract
situations. These are **most important for top managers** who must see the
"big picture" and how the whole company fits together.
## **3. Modern Managerial Challenges**
Managers today face six major shifts in the workplace:
* **Technology:** Managers must help employees adapt to new tools like
Artificial Intelligence and Cloud computing.
* **Disruptive Innovation:** New companies (like Uber or Netflix) can suddenly
change how an entire industry works. Managers must be ready to pivot.
* **Social Media:** Managers must balance the benefits of social media
(communication/marketing) with its risks (distractions or public complaints).
* **Ethics:** There is a huge focus on building trust and making sure employees
act with integrity and honesty.
* **Political Uncertainty:** Changes in laws, trade agreements, and global
politics (like Brexit) create new risks that managers must navigate.
* **Customer Focus:** Since most jobs are now in the service industry,
managers must ensure employees provide high-quality service to keep
customers happy.
---
## **4. Why Study Management?**
The text gives four main reasons why learning management is valuable for
everyone:
* **The Universality of Management:** Management is needed in
organizations of all sizes (small to large), all types (profit and non-profit), and all
levels (bottom to top).
* **The Reality of Work:** Once you graduate, you will either manage others or
be managed by someone. Understanding management helps you navigate both
roles.
* **Rewards from Being a Manager:** Being a manager allows you to create a
good work environment, help others find meaning in their work, and receive
rewards like status and higher pay.
* **Insights into Life at Work:** Even if you aren't a "manager" by title, learning
these concepts helps you understand how organizations function and how to
deal with your own boss and colleagues.
---
## **5. Managing Your Time (The ABCs)**
The text suggests a simple system for managing your time:
* **List your goals** and rank them by importance.
* **Categorize tasks:** * **A:** Important and Urgent.
* **B:** Important or Urgent (but not both).
* **C:** Routine tasks that still need to be done.
* **Schedule your day** based on these priorities and avoid "time wasters" like
excessive social media or phone calls.