Do What?

Recently, two people have asked me, “What do managers do?”.  From outside the office, it seems that the staff are doing all the work.

My favourite metaphor for management is the Chinese trick of balancing plates on sticks.  One project gets started. Then manager focuses their attention on a new staff member, keeping an eye on the project to make sure it doesn’t stall.  As the new staff member starts working, the manager responds to a request for information and action by a customer; when the first project starts to falter, the manager steps in to eliminate problems.  And so on, for many projects, many staff, many customers, and probably several bosses.

The main streams of a manager’s responsibility need attention almost simultaneously.

• Oversight of staff performance and development:  If the organization is large enough, the manager can be blessed with good supervisors who work daily with staff members to ensure they understand and are performing work according to set goals.  In smaller organizations, the manager may be responsible for supervisory functions, and as people always present challenges, these responsibilities can be time-consuming.  For example, resignations and promotions can mean hiring and training over a period of weeks and months.

• Goals converted into projects and the assignment of work tasks:  The manager is primarily responsible for designing, organizing, and overseeing the delivery of project goals.  Staff expect the manager to touch base on a fairly regular base, and both official and casual conversations are a good sources of information about progress and roadblocks. Regardless of the difficulties encountered within projects, the manager cannot simply accept that work will remain unaccomplished.  Steps must be taken to re-arrange assignments, find more resources, or re-negotiate goals with senior managers.

• Important relationships with many stakeholders:  Customers need attention, on an individual basis for some organizations.  Suppliers form a critical part of the manager’s information network.  Senior managers who are kept informed will be supportive in responding to requests.  Colleagues should be kept current with a manager’s work to ensure that the various parts of the organization are meshing to the benefit of all.

• Personal work: Often mangers will be assigned their own projects, such a researching new technologies and their relationship to the organizations goals.  A significant amount of time must be set aside to conduct research, analyze details, prepare reports, present findings, and probably follow-up on recommendations.  A constant need is keeping up on changes in the organizational, business and economic environments to ensure that decisions are viable.