A Manager

Managers as guide

Whenever someone asks me who a manager is and what their duties and functions in the corporate world comprise, I can’t help but remember the following story from my childhood and the lasting effect it had on my life.

Childhood story

Many years ago, my family and I lived in a small town in India. The neighborhood was warm and friendly, and everyone knew one another. The community school was a few miles away from our house, and I can vividly remember walking with the other kids to and from school every day. My siblings and I loved playing cricket afterward. I also remember my mother emphatically advising my siblings and me to take care whenever we went out. Her mantra each time we told her we were going out to play would be, “Be careful and come back at sunset.” Then, she’d tell me to watch over my siblings and make sure that they were safe.

I now remember those days as the first of many times I was entrusted with being responsible for myself and other people. My mother always made sure that, as her oldest child, I understood my responsibility of taking care of and guiding my younger siblings. As I got older and took up more duties personally and professionally, those childhood days would always float before my eyes as the defining days in which I acquired my leadership and management style.

Many questions plague the corporate world. One constant problem is who and what a manager is; is managerial duty earned through a professional degree alone, or is there more to being a manager? These are questions that beg for answers and have divided opinions in corporate and personal spaces.

Who is a manager?
A manager is many things. We may refer to them as a boss, a leader, a mentor, a team lead, and so much more. Perhaps you have encountered managers in the following roles: the person who sets the deadlines on projects offers guidance when someone needs it in the office, talks the most during meetings, designates meeting times, and does many other things.

In short, the manager’s role is vast and complex. A manager can be many different things to different people, even within the same organization. Perhaps the best way to think of a manager is as a leader, much like the musical conductor of an orchestra.

Managerial duties

A manager leads a department in an organization, manages the department’s resources, and has the task and responsibility to steer the department in the direction defined by its mission, vision, goals, and objectives. A manager has short- and long-term targets to achieve and is responsible for them. Thus, managers need to be equipped with the proper knowledge and tools to be effective and productive. At many points in life, we can have the responsibility of managing. It can be managing ourselves, family, finances, team, business enterprise, or organization. One thing is for sure in organizational management: success is likely if all the various components align with the organization’s vision and mission. It’s essential to understand what it means to be a manager, and the roles and responsibilities that are required to be effective managers and that enable managers to achieve the best possible results at any given time. Management requires both tact and common sense. A manager must possess specific tools and employ them to handle all parts of the management process effectively. If you manage a department, you’ll need every team member to fully understand what is required to achieve set goals and contribute positively to its growth. But how can this be achieved? We’ll be discussing that in the later lessons.

A manager becomes a leader, a coach, a mentor, a friend, a coordinator, and so much more for the team. Top managers serve, support, and empower their employees and other managers within an organization. By empowering others, they create an enabling environment where everyone can behave, think, and work independently.

I have had different opportunities to meet people and conduct interviews. I frequently ask, “What kind of manager do you want to be?” One of the many replies I get is, “I want to be a manager like you.” It is an ambitious statement, no doubt, but it leaves me a little amused and with many mind-boggling questions. I always proceed to question their choices, and I almost always get the same kinds of replies. These replies revolve around wanting to be a manager for the financial gain they hope to attract or a need for control. Yes, many people desire to be managers.

However, these misconceptions about the roles and duties of management could drive people to conclusions that may be detrimental to them and their organization in the long run.