Three Faces Of A Successful Manager

Any manager who wishes to succeed in his task has the following shoes to fill: Planner The manager has to take a strategic view of the organization. In fact, the higher your position in the organizational hierarchy, the further down is the time horizon you have to consider. Subordinates might be taking a limited view with regard to objectives and goals but not the manager. The manager will have to take a wider view and at the same time ensure that goal congruence is achieved at all levels of the firm.

This wide view of things will help the manager in differentiating between good projects and bad ones and help him to take on assignments that add value to the organization, to the team and to his own career. Provider Due to his position, the manager is in possession of expert and inside knowledge that his subordinates lack. Similarly, his access to certain material is far greater then those of his Subordinates.

This power and authority of the manager is paramount to the success of the whole team and the organization as a whole. Successful managers should constantly seek to provide their subordinates with the maximum amount of relevant knowledge and material that they might need to fulfill their task. Protector The manager is more of a fatherly figure. At times, subordinates might digress from core issues and venture into less productive activities.

The manager needs to ensure that this digression is not long term and that employees continue ti focus on the core issues. Managers need to fully appreciate the time and social cost that might arise due to taking up a new assignment and consider its effect on the team. Similarly, all proposals from Subordinates should be listened and if good, adhered too. Even if they are not implemented, at least the manager should communicate the reasons to the concerned individual and ensure that he does not harbor any grievances.

Similarly, as a protector, the manager should be ready to help the employee if he feels there is a problem at the office floor or even outside the organization, as all people are looking for is someone to listen to them. Conclusion It is not important that a “good manager” is a prophetic personality. Instead, it is essential that he recognizes the fact that good people skills are essential for harmonizing the goals of the Subordinates with those of the firm.

A manager must fully appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of his/ her subordinates and take actions that would not cause damage to any stakeholder involved.

References

Grossman, J. H. and Parkinson, R. 2001. Becoming a Successful Manager: How to Make a Smooth Transition from Managing Yourself to Managing Others. New York: McGraw-Hill. Selden, Bob. 2007. What To Do When You Become The Boss: How new managers become successful managers . California: Outskirts Press. Duncan, Matt. 2004. The Rules for Successful Managers. New York: Lulu. com.