Manager

Someone who coordinates and oversees the work of other people so that organizational goals can be accomplished.

Classifying Managers

First-line Managers

Individuals who manage the work of non-managerial employees.

Middle Managers

Individuals who manage the work of first-line managers.

Top Managers

Individuals who are responsible for making organization-wide decisions and establishing plans and goals that affect the entire organization.

Managerial Concerns

Efficiency

“Doing things right”

Getting the most output for the least inputs

Effectiveness

“Doing the right things”

Attaining organizational goals

Three Approaches to Defining What Managers Do.

Functions they perform.

Roles they play.

Skills they need.

Management Functions

Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling

Management Roles  (Mintzberg)

Interpersonal roles

Figurehead, leader, liaison

Informational roles

Monitor, disseminator, spokesperson

Decisional roles

Entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, negotiator

Skills Managers Need

Technical skills

Knowledge and proficiency in a specific field

Human skills

The ability to work well with other people

Conceptual skills

The ability to think and conceptualize about abstract and complex situations concerning the organization

Characteristics of School Heads

1. Managers are responsible and accountable: Managers are responsible for seeing that specific tasks are done successfully. They are usually evaluated on how well they arrange for these tasks to the accomplished. Managers are responsible for the actions of their subordinates.

2. Managers balance competing goals and set priorities: At any given time, the manager faces a number of organizational goals, problems, and needs all of which compete for the manager's time and resources (both human and material). Because such resources are always limited, the manager must strike a balance between the various goals and needs. Many managers, for example, arrange each day's tasks in order of priority the most important things are done right away, while the less important tasks are looked at later. In this way, managerial time is used effectively.

3. Managers think analytically and conceptually: To be an analytical thinker, a manager must be able to break a problem down into its components, analyze those components, and then come up with a feasible solution. But even more important, a manager must be a conceptual thinker, able to view the entire task in the abstract and relate it to other tasks. Thinking about a particular task in relation to its larger implications is no simple matter. But it is essential if the manager is to work towards the goals of the organization as a whole as well as towards the goals of an individual unit.

4. Managers are mediators: Organizations are made up of people, and people disagree or quarrel quite often. Disputes within a unit or organization can lower morale and productivity, and they may become so unpleasant or disruptive that competent employees decide to leave the organization. Such occurrences hinder work towards the goals of the unit or organization; therefore, managers must at times take on the role of mediator and iron out disputes before they get out of hand. Setting conflicts requires skill and tact. Managers who are careless in their handling conflicts may, later on, find that they have only made matters worse.

5. Managers make difficult decisions: No organization runs smoothly all the time. There is almost no limit to the number and types of problems that may occur: financial difficulties, problems with employees, or differences of opinion concerning an organization policy, to name just a few. Managers are expected to come up with solutions to difficult problems and to follow through on their decisions even when doing so may be unpopular.