UNIT - I - Management PDF

UNIT – I Management is the attainment of organizational goals in an effective and efficient manner through planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling organizational resources. Organizational resources include men (human beings), money, machines and materials. Management: An O...

UNIT – I Management is the attainment of organizational goals in an effective and efficient manner through planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling organizational resources. Organizational resources include men (human beings), money, machines and materials. Management: An Overview Management is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively. Since organizations can be viewed as systems, management can also be defined as human action, including design, to facilitate the production of useful outcomes from a system. This view opens the opportunity to manage oneself, a pre-requisite to attempting to manage others. Management functions include: Planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling an organization (a group of one or more people or entities) or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal. There are several different resource types within management. Resourcing encompasses the deployment and manipulation of:  Human resources  Financial resources  Technological resources  Natural resources Different type of Management Styles There are different types of management styles, and the management process has changed over recent years. The addition of work teams and servant leadership has changed what is expected from managers, and what managers expect from their employees. Traditional Management There is a hierarchy of employees, low level management, mid-level management, and senior management. In traditional management systems, the manager sets out expectations for the employees who need to meet goals, but the manager receives the reward of meeting those goals. Team Managment  In a team management arrangement the manager is a guiding hand to help the members of the team work together to solve problems but doesn’t dictate policy and the entire team receives the reward of meeting those goals. Servant Management With this approach, the manager helps supply resources the employees need to meet company goals. In servant leadership, the organization recognizes employees as experts in their field and work to help them work efficiently. No matter which type of management style is used by an organization, the main objective of managers is to help employees reach company goals and maintain company standards and policies. Management is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a non-profit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources. Management is the process of planning and organising the resources and activities of a business to achieve specific goals in the most effective and efficient manner possible. Efficiency in management refers to the completion of tasks correctly and at minimal costs. Effectiveness in management relates to the completion of tasks within specific timelines to yield tangible results According to Harold Koontz, "Management is the art of getting things done through others and with formally organised groups." F. W. Taylor- “Management is an art of knowing what is to be done and seeing that it is done in the best possible manner.” Henri Fayol- “Management is to forecast, to plan, to organise, to command, to co-ordinate and control activities of others.” Nature of Management: Universal Process: Wherever there exists human pursuit, there exists management. Without effective management, the intentions of the organisation cannot be accomplished. The factor of Production: Equipped and experienced managers are necessary for the utilisation of funds and labour. Goal-Oriented: The most significant aim of all management pursuit is to achieve the purposes of a firm. The aims must be practical and reachable.  Supreme in Thought and Action: Managers set achievable goals and then direct execution on all aspects to achieve them. For this, they need complete assistance from middle and lower degrees of management. The system of authority: Well-defined principles of regulation, the regulation of proper power and efficiency at all degrees of decision-making. This is important so that each self must perform what is required from him or her and to whom he must report. Profession: Managers require to control managerial expertise and education, and have to adhere to a verified law of demeanour and stay informed of their human and social responsibilities. Process: The management method incorporates a range of activities or services directed towards an object. Scope of management  Marketing Management  Production Management  Office Management  Personnel Management  Financial Management Let’s discuss each one of these branches briefly. Marketing Management Marketing management is the organization, planning, direction, and controlling the people’s activities operating in the marketing department of an organization while aiming to achieve the enterprise’s objectives. You can consider it as a process of finding and assessing the customers’ requirements to fulfil them through products or services. It aims to make the final consumer aware of the products or services to make them interested in the same with a focus on profitability. Marketing management ensures that the available resources are used optimally to get the best possible results. Some of the aspects of marketing management covers are sales promotion, market research, branding, marketing policy, distribution channels, market analysis, after-sales service, sale-mix, and many others. As you can see, marketing management is a huge aspect of any enterprise. Production Management Production refers to creating utilities. Their creation happens when we convert raw materials into our desired finished products.  So, production management is the section of management which by scientific regulation and planning runs that division of the organization which is responsible for actually translating the raw materials into finished products. Without production, a business won’t generate its products or services, that’s why production management is so vital for its success. Production management handles the planning and regulation of the production process because, without them, the final product wouldn’t satisfy the customers, causing the business to close its doors. Some of the business aspects production management covers are quality control, plant layout, production type, simplification, research and development, etc. Office Management Office management deals with controlling and coordinating all office activities to achieve the business’s goals. It organizes the office and its tasks so that the management can achieve its objectives efficiently. You can say that it is a service department for all other sections of the business. The administration’s efficiency affects the business’s success significantly, which depends on the information the office supplies to the administration. Moreover, the amount of paperwork an office has to do has risen substantially because of enhanced regulations, complexities, technologies, expansion, etc. These factors have increased the importance of office management in the current day and age. Personnel Management Personnel management involves activities and processes that use and control the enterprise’s manpower. Human resources are among the most vital factors determining an organization’s success. It deals with operative and managerial functions. Some of the managerial functions in personnel management are directing employees, personnel planning, and control. Similarly, some operative functions in personnel management are determining equitable and appropriate compensation for employees, procuring the right quantity and type of people, ensuring proper working conditions, integrating the personnel’s interests with that of the enterprise, and much more. Without effective personnel management, it would be impossible for an organization to succeed. That’s why it’s one of the most significant branches of management and demands a lot of attention. Financial Management An enterprise’s finances matter a lot. Financial management focuses on managerial activities that utilize and procure the finances of a business. The finances of an enterprise can become highly complicated that’s why effective financial management becomes crucial for its goal achievement. The primary functions of this management branch are ensuring fair returns to stakeholders, estimating capital requirements, laying down suitable and optimal capital, etc. Apart from the above functions, financial management handles the coordination of tasks within departments, preparation and analysis of financial statements, negotiation with external parties and creating an effective dividend policy. Sometimes, organizations hire service providers to help them with their finances (chartered accountant, actuary, etc.). Those service providers would fall under financial management too. Levels of Management - Top, Middle and Lower 1. Top level/Administrative level 2. Middle level/Executory 3. Low level/Supervisory/Operative/First-line managers 1. Top Level of Management It consists of board of directors, chief executive or managing director. The top management is the ultimate source of authority and it manages goals and policies for an enterprise. It devotes more time on planning and coordinating functions. The role of the top management can be summarized as follows - a. Top management lays down the objectives and broad policies of the enterprise. b. It issues necessary instructions for preparation of department budgets, procedures, schedules etc. c. It prepares strategic plans & policies for the enterprise. d. It appoints the executive for middle level i.e. departmental managers. e. It controls & coordinates the activities of all the departments. f. It is also responsible for maintaining a contact with the outside world. g. It provides guidance and direction. h. The top management is also responsible towards the shareholders for the performance of the enterprise. 2. Middle Level of Management  The branch managers and departmental managers constitute middle level. They are responsible to the top management for the functioning of their department. They devote more time to organizational and directional functions. In small organization, there is only one layer of middle level of management but in big enterprises, there may be senior and junior middle level management. Their role can be emphasized as - a. They execute the plans of the organization in accordance with the policies and directives of the top management. b. They make plans for the sub-units of the organization. c. They participate in employment & training of lower level management. d. They interpret and explain policies from top level management to lower level. e. They are responsible for coordinating the activities within the division or department. f. It also sends important reports and other important data to top level management. g. They evaluate performance of junior managers. h. They are also responsible for inspiring lower level managers towards better performance. 3. Lower Level of Management Lower level is also known as supervisory/operative level of management. It consists of supervisors, foreman, section officers, superintendent etc. According to R.C. Davis, “Supervisory management refers to those executives whose work has to be largely with personal oversight and direction of operative employees”. In other words, they are concerned with direction and controlling function of management. Their activities include - a. Assigning of jobs and tasks to various workers. b. They guide and instruct workers for day to day activities. c. They are responsible for the quality as well as quantity of production. d. They are also entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining good relation in the organization. e. They communicate workers problems, suggestions, and recommendatory appeals etc to the higher level and higher level goals and objectives to the workers. f. They help to solve the grievances of the workers. g. They supervise & guide the sub-ordinates. h. They are responsible for providing training to the workers.  i. They arrange necessary materials, machines, tools etc for getting the things done. j. They prepare periodical reports about the performance of the workers. k. They ensure discipline in the enterprise. l. They motivate workers. m. They are the image builders of the enterprise because they are in direct contact with the workers. Importance of Management Management has various functions in an organisation. Without it, success cannot be achieved. The five points of importance of management are provided below. 1. Achieving organisation goals – Management plays a vital role in achieving organisational goals by aligning resources and providing guidance on all matters. Managers play an important role in developing strategies that help organisations achieve their goals. 2. Achieving individual goals – Management is also responsible for helping individuals achieve their personal goals. They ensure that every individual in the organization is satisfied with their growth and development. There is a directly proportional relationship between achieving individual and organizational goals. 3. Creating a dynamic environment – Management plays a vital role in ensuring that the organisation does not stagnate and stays up to date with the latest trends in the industry. They ensure that the organisation changes with the changing times. 4. Developing Society – As management is responsible for the development of an organization, they also help in the development of society. Every organisation has a social responsibility that they can fulfill in a better way even if they achieve their own goals. 5. Improving Efficiency – Management involves an array of functions like planning, controlling, directing, and organising, which helps improve the efficiency of the organisation. Management as an Art: Art is the experienced and personal utilisation of subsisting information to accomplish solicited outcomes. It can be procured via education, research and practice. As art is involved with the personal utilisation of data some kind of inventiveness and creativity is needed to follow the fundamental systems acquired. The essential characteristics of art are as follows:  The presence of theoretical knowledge: Art assumes the presence of specific academic knowledge. Specialists in their particular fields have obtained specific elementary postulates which are appropriate to a specific sort of art. For instance, the literature on public speaking, acting or music, dancing is publicly acknowledged.  Personalised application: The application of this primary information differs from person to person. Art, hence, is a highly personalised notion.  Based on custom and creativity: Art is practical. Art includes the creative practice of subsisting intellectual knowledge. We know that music is based on 7 notes. However, what  makes the style of a musician different or distinctive is his performance of these notes in an artistic way that is uniquely his own solution. Management as a Science: Science is an organised collection of knowledge that emphasises definite universal truths or the action of comprehensive laws. The central characteristics of science are as follows:  The organised body of knowledge: Science is a precise entity of knowledge. Its systems are based on a purpose and consequence association.  Universal validity: Scientific conventions have global genuineness and application.  Systems based on experimentation: Scientific conventions are originally formed via research and then tested via repeated trial and error under the regulated situations. Evolution of Management Thought 1. Pre-scientific management period. 2. Classical Theory a. Scientific Management of Taylor b. Administrative Management of Fayol c. Bureaucratic Model of Max Weber 3. Neo-classical Theory or Behaviour Approach 4. Modern Theory or Systems Approach 1. Pre-scientific Management Period The advent of industrial revolution in the middle of the 18th century had its impact on management. Industrial revolution brought about a complete change in the methods of production, tools and equipments, organization of labour and methods of raising capital. 2. Classical Theory Prof. Charles Babbage, James Watt Junior and Mathew Robinson Boulton, Robert Owen, Henry Robinson Towne and Rowntree were, no doubt, pioneers of management thought. But, the impact of their contributions on the industry as a whole was meagre. The real beginning of the science of management did not occur until the last decade of the 19thcentury. During this period, stalwarts like F.W. Taylor, H.L. Gantt, Emerson, Frank and Lillian Gilberth etc., laid the foundation of management, which in due course, came to be known as scientific management. This epoch in the history of management will be remembered as an era in which traditional ways of managing were challenged, past management experience was scientifically systematized and principles of management were distilled and propagated. The contributions of the pioneers of this  age have had a profound impact in furthering the management know-how and enriching the store of management principles. A.Taylor's Scientific Management: Started as an apprentice machinist in Philadelphia, USA. He rose to be the chief engineer at the Midvale Engineering Works and later on served with the Bethlehem Works where he experimented with his ideas and made the contribution to the management theory for which he is so well known. Frederick Winslow Taylor well-known as the founder of scientific management was the first to recognize and emphasis the need for adopting a scientific approach to the task of managing an enterprise. He tried to diagnose the causes of low efficiency in industry and came to the conclusion that much of waste and inefficiency is due to the lack of order and system in the methods of management. He found that the management was usually ignorant of the amount of work that could be done by a worker in a day as also the best method of doing the job. As a result, it remained largely at the mercy of the workers who deliberately shirked work.  Science, not rule of thumb  Harmony, not discord  Co-operation, not individualism  Maximum output, in place of restricted output  The development of each man to his greatest efficiency and prosperity. B.Administrative Management Theory: Henry Fayol was the most important exponent of this theory. The pyramidal form, scalar principle, unity of command, exception principle, span of control and departmentalisation are some of the important concepts set forth by Fayol and his followers like Mooney and Reiley, Simon, Urwick, Gullick etc. Henry Fayol (France, 1841 - 1925): Henry Fayol was born in 1941 at Constantinople in France. He graduated as a mining engineer in 1860 from the National School of Mining. After his graduation, he joined a French Coal Mining Company as an Engineer. After a couple of years, he was promoted as manager. He was appointed as General Manager of his company in 1888. At that time, the company suffered heavy losses and was nearly bankrupt. Henry Fayol succeeded in converting his company from near bankruptcy to a strong financial position and a record of profits and dividends over a long period. Fayol's Principles of Management: The principles of management are given below: 1. Division of work: Division of work or specialization alone can give maximum productivity and efficiency. Both technical and managerial activities can be performedin the best manner only through division of labour and specialization. 2. Authority and Responsibility: The right to give order is called authority. The obligation to accomplish is called responsibility. Authority and Responsibility are the two sides of the management coin. They exist together. They are complementary and mutually interdependent. 3. Discipline: The objectives, rules and regulations, the policies and procedures must be honoured by each member of an organization. There must be clear and fair agreement on the rules and objectives, on the policies and procedures. There must be penalties (punishment) for non-obedience or indiscipline. No organization can work smoothly without discipline - preferably voluntary discipline. 4. Unity of Command: In order to avoid any possible confusion and conflict, each member of an organization must received orders and instructions only from one superior (boss). 5. Unity of Direction: All members of an organization must work together to accomplish common objectives. 6. Emphasis on Subordination of Personal Interest to General or CommonInterest: This is also called principle of co-operation. Each shall work for all and all for each. General or common interest must be supreme in any joint enterprise. 7. Remuneration: Fair pay with non-financial rewards can act as the best incentive or motivator for good performance. Exploitation of employees in any manner must be eliminated. Sound scheme of remuneration includes adequate financial and nonfinancial incentives. 8. Centralization: There must be a good balance between centralization and decentralization of authority and power. Extreme centralization and decentralization must be avoided. 9. Scalar Chain: The unity of command brings about a chain or hierarchy of command linking all members of the organization from the top to the bottom. Scalar denotes steps. 10. Order: Fayol suggested that there is a place for everything. Order or system alone can create a sound organization and efficient management. 11. Equity: An organization consists of a group of people involved in joint effort. Hence, equity (i.e., justice) must be there. Without equity, we cannot have sustained and adequate joint collaboration. 12. Stability of Tenure: A person needs time to adjust himself with the new work and demonstrate efficiency in due course. Hence, employees and managers must have job security. Security of income and employment is a pre-requisite of sound organization and management. 13. Esprit of Co-operation: Esprit de corps is the foundation of a sound organization. Union is strength. But unity demands co-operation. Pride, loyalty and sense of belonging are responsible for good performance. 14. Initiative: Creative thinking and capacity to take initiative can give us sound managerial planning and execution of predetermined plans.  C.Bureaucratic Model: Max Weber, a German Sociologist developed the bureaucratic model. His model of bureaucracy include a. Hierarchy of authority. b. Division of labour based upon functional specialization. c. A system of rules. d. Impersonality of interpersonal relationships. e. A system of work procedures. f. Placement of employees based upon technical competence. g. Legal authority and power. 3. Neoclassical Theory:Neo-classical Theory is built on the base of classical theory. It modified, improved and extended the classical theory. Classical theory concentrated on job content and management of physical resources whereas, neoclassical theory gave greater emphasis to individual and group relationship in the workplace. The neo- classical theory pointed out the role of psychology and sociology in the understanding of individual and group behaviour in an organization. George Elton Mayo (Australia, 1880 - 1949): Elton Mayo was born in Australia. He was educated in Logic and Philosophy at St. Peter's College, Adelaide. He led a team of researchers from Harvard University, which carried out investigation in human problems at the Hawthorne Plant of Western Electrical Company at Chicago. They conducted some experiments (known as Hawthorne Experiments) and investigated informal groupings, informal relationships, patterns of communication, patterns of informal leadership etc. Elton Mayo is generally recognized as the father of Human Relations School. Other prominent contributors to this school include Roethlisberger, Dickson, Dewey, Lewinetc. Hawthorne Experiment: In 1927, a group of researchers led by Elton Mayo and Fritz Roethlisberger of the Harvard Business School were invited to join in the studies at the Hawthorne Works of Western Electric Company, Chicago. The experiment lasted up to 1932. The Hawthorne Experiments brought out that the productivity of the employees is not the function of only physical conditions of work and money wages paid to them. Productivity of employees depends heavily upon the satisfaction of the employees in their work situation. Mayo's idea was that logical factors were far less important than emotional factors in determining productivity efficiency. Furthermore, of all the human factors influencing employee behaviour, the most powerful were those emanating from the worker's participation in social groups. Thus, Mayo concluded that work arrangements in addition to meeting the objective requirements of production must at the same time satisfy the employee's subjective requirement of social satisfaction at his work place. The Hawthorne experiment consists of four parts. These parts are briefly described below:- 1. Illumination Experiment. 2. Relay Assembly Test Room Experiment. 3. Interviewing Programme. 4. Bank Wiring Test Room Experiment. 4. Modern Theory (System Approach): The systems approach to management indicates the fourth major theory of management thought called modern theory. Modern theory considers an organization as an adaptive system which has to adjust to changes in its environment. An organization is now defined as a structured process in which individuals interact for attaining objectives. Meaning of "System": The word system is derived from the Greek word meaning to bring together or to combine. A system is a set of interconnected and inter-related elements or component parts to achieve certain goals. A system has three significant parts: 1. Every system is goal-oriented and it must have a purpose or objective to be attained. 2. In designing the system we must establish the necessary arrangement of components. 3. Inputs of information, material and energy are allocated for processing as per plan so that the outputs can achieve the objective of the system. Functions of Management 1. Planning It is the basic function of management. It deals with chalking out a future course of action & deciding in advance the most appropriate course of actions for achievement of pre- determined goals. According to KOONTZ, “Planning is deciding in advance - what to do, when to do & how to do. It bridges the gap from where we are & where we want to be”. A plan is a future course of actions. It is an exercise in problem solving & decision making. Planning is determination of courses of action to achieve desired goals. Thus, planning is a systematic thinking about ways & means for accomplishment of pre-determined goals. Planning is necessary to ensure proper utilization of human & non-human resources. It is all pervasive, it is an intellectual activity and it also helps in avoiding confusion, uncertainties, risks, wastages etc. 2. Organizing It is the process of bringing together physical, financial and human resources and developing productive relationship amongst them for achievement of organizational goals. According to Henry Fayol, “To organize a business is to provide it with everything useful or its functioning i.e. raw material, tools, capital and personnel’s”. To organize a business  involves determining & providing human and non-human resources to the organizational structure. Organizing as a process involves:  Identification of activities.  Classification of grouping of activities.  Assignment of duties.  Delegation of authority and creation of responsibility.  Coordinating authority and responsibility relationships. 3. Staffing It is the function of manning the organization structure and keeping it manned. Staffing has assumed greater importance in the recent years due to advancement of technology, increase in size of business, complexity of human behavior etc. The main purpose o staffing is to put right man on right job i.e. square pegs in square holes and round pegs in round holes. According to Kootz & O’Donell, “Managerial function of staffing involves manning the organization structure through proper and effective selection, appraisal & development of personnel to fill the roles designed un the structure”. Staffing involves:  Manpower Planning (estimating man power in terms of searching, choose the person and giving the right place).  Recruitment, Selection & Placement.  Training & Development.  Remuneration.  Performance Appraisal.  Promotions & Transfer. 4. Directing It is that part of managerial function which actuates the organizational methods to work efficiently for achievement of organizational purposes. It is considered life-spark of the enterprise which sets it in motion the action of people because planning, organizing and staffing are the mere preparations for doing the work. Direction is that inert-personnel aspect of management which deals directly with influencing, guiding, supervising, motivating sub-ordinate for the achievement of organizational goals. Direction has following elements:  Supervision  Motivation  Leadership  Communication  Supervision- implies overseeing the work of subordinates by their superiors. It is the act of watching & directing work & workers. Motivation- means inspiring, stimulating or encouraging the sub-ordinates with zeal to work. Positive, negative, monetary, non-monetary incentives may be used for this purpose. Leadership- may be defined as a process by which manager guides and influences the work of subordinates in desired direction. Communications- is the process of passing information, experience, opinion etc from one person to another. It is a bridge of understanding. 5. Controlling It implies measurement of accomplishment against the standards and correction of deviation if any to ensure achievement of organizational goals. The purpose of controlling is to ensure that everything occurs in conformities with the standards. An efficient system of control helps to predict deviations before they actually occur. According to Theo Haimann, “Controlling is the process of checking whether or not proper progress is being made towards the objectives and goals and acting if necessary, to correct any deviation”. According to Koontz & O’Donell “Controlling is the measurement & correction of performance activities of subordinates in order to make sure that the enterprise objectives and plans desired to obtain them as being accomplished”. Therefore controlling has following steps: a. Establishment of standard performance. b. Measurement of actual performance. c. Comparison of actual performance with the standards and finding out deviation if any. d. Corrective action. Trends and Challenges of Management Trends 1 Planning and Decision Making Planning and Decision Making in a Global Scenario To effectively plan and make decisions in a global economy, managers must have a broad based understanding of both environmental issues and competitive issues. They need to understand local market conditions and technological factor that will affect their operations. At the corporate level, executives need a great deal of information to function effectively. Which markets are  growing? Which markets are shrinking? Which are our domestic and foreign competitors doing in each market? They must also make a variety of strategic decisions about their organizations. 2 Organizing Organizing in a Global Scenario Managers in international businesses must also attend to a variety of organizing issues. For example, General Electric has operations scattered around the globe. The firm has made the decision to give local managers a great deal of responsibility for how they run their business. In contrast, many Japanese firms give managers of their foreign operations relatively little responsibility. As a result, those managers must frequently travel back to Japan to present problems or get decisions approved. Managers in an international business must address the basic issues of organization structure and design, managing change, and dealing with human resources. 3 Leading Leading in a Global Scenario We noted earlier some of the cultural factors that affect international organizations. Individual managers must be prepared to deal with these and other factors as they interact people from different cultural backgrounds.Supervising a group of five managers, each of whom is from a different state in the United States, is likely to be much simpler than supervising a group of five managers, each of whom is from a different culture. Managers must understand how cultural factors affect individuals. How motivational processes vary across cultures, how the role of leadership changes in different cultures, how communication varies across cultures, and how interpersonal and group processes depend on cultural background. 4 Controlling Controlling in a Global Scenario Finally, managers in international organizations must also be concerned with control. Distances, time zone differences, and cultural factors also play a role in control. For example, in some cultures, close supervision is seen as being appropriate, whereas in other cultures, it is not like wise, executives in the United States and Japan may find it difficult to communicate vital information to one another because of the time zone differences. Basic control issues for the international manager revolve around operations management productivity, quality, technology and information systems.  A manager is a person who is responsible for a part of a company, i.e., they ‘manage‘ the company. Managers may be in charge of a department and the people who work in it. In some cases, the manager is in charge of the whole business A manager is an individual within an organization who is in charge of coordinating the efforts of individuals or the allocation of resources. As such, a manager is one who undertakes management activities Qualifications of Manager 1. Educational requirements While hiring managers, recruiters may look for candidates with formal management degrees. If this is a mandatory requirement, you can find the information in the job description. Most commonly, recruiters may look for a master's degree in business administration in the resume of ideal candidates. You can pursue a two-year master's degree in business administration from a recognised institution or enrol in an online course designed for working individuals. These online courses allow you to pursue your education alongside your job. 2. Prior experience Along with education, hiring managers look for candidates with prior experience in managerial roles. This criterion is important when you have a bachelor's degree as your highest qualification as it shows the recruiter that you have managed teams before and have the necessary skills. If you have a master's degree in business administration along with prior experience as a manager, it can help you get noticed by the recruiter. 3. The ability to communicate effectively Excellent communication is one of the most important skills that can help managers at their job. This includes written and oral communication abilities, as managers often draft memos, create reports and interact with their team members. Being able to communicate may allow them to managers explain their plans to their team, address conflicts and understand team members from different backgrounds. 4. The ability to lead teams Apart from ensuring that their team members achieve company objectives, managers are also responsible for leading their teams. They typically aim to motivate their team members, improve productivity, set goals and manage performance. A good leader often takes responsibility for completing tasks, instead of waiting for someone else to do them. They may delegate tasks and take on only the ones that require their expertise to improve efficiency. 5. Problem-solving capabilities Managers may encounter several problems in their daily work. Sometimes they may resolve conflicts within teams, correct team members' mistakes, attend to dissatisfied clients or offer explanations to senior management. They may also troubleshoot technical problems at work. Having good problem-solving skills can help managers stay calm during stressful situations and look for ways to resolve them. 6. The ability to build interpersonal relationships Managers typically work closely with their team members and other departments to achieve company objectives. Having good interpersonal skills can help them build strong relationships with their colleagues. Some of these skills include empathy, active listening, motivation and flexibility. A manager who understands employees and gives them the freedom to express themselves can help create a healthy environment at work. This can enhance team members' productivity, effectiveness and motivation while also improving their sense of belonging to the organisation. 7. Team-focused mindset Good managers are typically able to work well in teams and can lead them to success. They can also inculcate a spirit of teamwork within their team members and guide their collective efforts towards the company's success. They may show their team members that they can achieve better results by collaborating instead of working in isolation. 8. The ability to apply organisational skills for improved productivity Having good organisational skills can help managers appear professional and in control of their surroundings and tasks. It can show clients and colleagues that they are reliable and know what they are doing. Organisational skills include the ability to keep one's workspace tidy, along with good time management, prioritisation, delegation and planning abilities. Improving these skills can allow managers to ensure that they allocate their time and attention to the most important tasks. 9. The capacity to make swift decisions Managers typically take several decisions almost every day. They may often address challenges at work that may require quick action. They may benefit from developing the ability to remain calm and concentrated while trying to proactively solve a problem. Good decision-making skills ensure that they can consider all the factors relating to the problem and all the possible scenarios that can occur due to their decision. 10. Experience in managing the performance of teams Managers are typically responsible for their teams' performance. While senior management may focus on the performance of the team as a whole, they are to consider the performance of each team member. They can do this through periodic appraisals or by offering feedback when observing team members at work. A good manager can give constructive feedback to every team member and help them identify actionable steps for improvement. 11. The ability to negotiate with various parties As managers work closely with several parties within a company, negotiation skills can help them create mutually beneficial situations for everyone. For example, they may discuss a team member's salary during an interview. Good negotiation skills can ensure they offer a satisfactory salary to the employee while also considering the department budget and organisational objectives. Duties of Manager Interpersonal Role  Figurehead − Has social, ceremonial and legal responsibilities.  Leader − Provides leadership and direction.  Liaison − Networks and communicates with internal and external contacts. Informational Role  Monitor − Seeks out information related to your organization and industry, and monitors internal teams in terms of both their productivity and well-being.  Disseminator − Communicates potentially useful information internally.   Spokesperson − Represents and speaks for the organization and transmits information about the organization and its goals to the people outside it. Decisional Role  Entrepreneur − Creates and controls change within the organization - solving problems, generating new ideas, and implementing them.  Disturbance Handler − Resolves and manages unexpected roadblocks.  Resource Allocator − Allocates funds, assigning staff and other organizational resources.  Negotiator − Involved in direct important negotiations within the team, department, or organization.