The best workplaces need the right types of managers to successfully foster employee engagement and growth. But do you know what type of manager you are?
Managers play an important role in the overall success of an organization's structure. They are responsible for leading a team of employees to achieve goals and performance metrics. If you want to become a manager, it's helpful to understand what the job role is like and a career path you can take.
The traditional definition of manager limits a manager to someone who oversees the activities of employees. Simply put, managers oversee the activities of others in the organization structure to achieve objectives.
Since everyone has their own personal management style, it can be hard to determine which techniques work best for different situations. That being said, there are seven distinct types of managers that most professionals fall into. Each one offers its own set of advantages and disadvantages in terms of how they manage teams and inspire results.
Whether you're a new manager or an experienced one, it's worth taking some time to reflect on the type of manager you are and how it fits with your workplace culture.
In this article, we explore 'What is a manager?' along with information about the various types of managers, and the skills need to become one.
What is a Manager?
A manager is an individual within an organization who is in charge of coordinating the efforts of a person or the allocation of resources. As such, a manager in business is one who undertakes management activities.
In the modern working environment, managers may be in charge of systems or specific functions that do not involve human beings. The position of manager originated from the structural view of organisational structure.
A manager needs management skills are the individual abilities necessary to carry out the particular functions within their roles. As such, the required management skills will vary based on the manager type.
The Seven Types of Managers
Now let's see different categories of managers in the organization.
1) The Problem-Solving Manager
Problem-solving is a type of manager that plays a vital role because it helps an organization and its employees succeed in the market. Managers who can overcome matters efficiently can increase their own productivity, improve the job satisfaction of their team and encourage creativity within their department and even in the workplace.
When a team or department does well, this benefits the company and ensures everyone can continue completing their work tasks without disruption.
2) The Pitchfork Manager
Managers who manage with a pitchfork do so with a controlling posture It comes in types of managers in an organization. They typically micromanage and push people for more activity to drive good results, often through consequences, threats, and fear, building the trust which is needed to build a champion team.
The pitchfork manager typically manages reports to uncover each employee’s gaps and challenges, and, in turn, believes more activity is the answer to improved productivity in the organization. It's an example of bad managers.
3) The Pontificating Manager
First, understand the pontificating definition is pontification expresses opinions or judgments. It's less of a process and more of a static delivery mechanism for data the messenger has deemed valuable.
These managers, like most, care about their people and their success. However, these managers think coaching and developing people happens by talking at them, or might I say, preaching, from their soapbox.
The Pontificating Manager comes in different types of managers who readily admit they don't follow any particular type of management strategy. Instead, they shoot from the hip, making it up as they go along, often generating occasional, inconsistent results but they often find themselves in situations that they are unprepared for.
The Pontificating Manager is an example of a good manager in history. This type of manager can talk to anyone and immediately make people feel comfortable. This character strength becomes a help to their leadership style, often blinding them to the need to further systemize their approach.
4) The Presumptuous Manager
Presumptuous Managers focus mostly on themselves. It's an example of managers who think their personal production, recognition, sales quotas, and bonuses take precedence over their employees, putting their personal needs and objectives above the needs of their team members.
Presumptuous Managers also make decisions based on assumptions rather than facts and reality, which are typically driven by their Ego and the belief they’re better than everyone else.
Presumptuous Managers experience more attrition, turnover, and problems with those they manage than any other type of manager in a business. This is further compounded when the manager is also carrying a sales quota, and quite often, competes with their own team members.
5) The Perfect Manager
The most basic of all managers, the Perfect Manager possesses some great qualities. While this type of manager has a tendency to shy away from coaching and training since they believe they, “already know everything about the organization,” many are open to change, learning, coaching, and personal growth, yet often to a fault.
6) The Passive Manager
Also known as Parenting Managers or Pleasing Managers, Passive Managers take the concept of developing close relationships with their team members and coworkers to a new level.
These managers have one ultimate aim in the organization: to make people happy. While this is certainly an admirable trait, it can easily become a barrier to leadership efforts if not managed effectively.
7) The Proactive Manager
Encompasses all of the good qualities that the other types of managers possess, yet without all of their problems. Here are the characteristics that this ideal manager.
The Proactive Manager possesses
Persistence, edge, and real authenticity of the Pitchfork Manager.
Confidence of the Presumptuous Manager.
Enthusiasm, passion, goodness, and presence of the Pontificating Manager.
Drive to support others and good solutions like the Problem-Solving Manager.
Desire to serve, respectfulness, sensitivity, ability, and humanity of the Passive Manager.
The Proactive Manager is the ultimate manager and coach, and a testimonial to the additional skills and coaching competencies that every manager needs to develop in order to develop in themselves.
The roles and responsibilities of a manager
Managers are an essential asset to the success of the organization. The major role of the manager is to coordinate with each and every department in the organization and to bring about the best results that ensure the growth of the organization.
1. Visualize the Goals:
The managers need to understand how the goals are being directed in the organization and should be able to visualize the mission and goals of the organisation which is detrimental to the growth and success of the business.
The managers need to communicate the goals properly to each employee and map ways that help to achieve these goals in a strategic way.
2. Manage growth:
One of the basic roles and responsibilities of a manager is to sustain the growth of the organization. The manager needs to analyse the internal and external environment of the business that poses threat to the survival of the business.
3. Improve the efficiency of the firm:
The manager needs to ensure that the resources are properly utilised and not wasted. This can way for the overall efficiency of the organization's resources. Managers need to improve and maintain the efficiency of the company in order to reach success.
4. Be Innovative:
The manager needs to be innovative in firm matters. He/she needs to devise strategies that would help find creative solutions to the problems in the organization. The manager must encourage the employees to come up with innovative ways to achieve the goals faster and better.
5. Leadership:
The manager must have good leadership skills and be a motivator. He/she needs to inspire and motivate the employees working in the firm. A leader must ensure that the goals of the firm are achieved and the employees are productive at the same time.
Goals of business management
There are many different goals that organizations set in order to get successful in the market. These goals are communicated to the employees in order to achieve them in the best way.
1) Strategic Goals:
Strategic goals are meant to achieve the mission and vision of the organization. These Strategic goals focus on the complete company and not just a specific department. Strategic goals might include goals relating to innovation, productivity, efficiency, finances, management development, employee morale, social responsibility and much more.
2) Operational Goals:
These goals impact the daily operations of the firm. These goals are specific to certain employees or departments within a firm. Operational goals focus on individual employee responsibilities and performance that impact the overall position of the organization.
3) Tactical Goals:
Tactical goals mostly apply to specific divisions or departments in the firm. These tactical goals help in achieving the strategies of the firm. Tactical goals are usually short-term goals or long-term goals that can be analyzed and measured effectively.
Superordinate goals:
These goals help motivate individuals across different departments in the firm and help resolve the conflict and establish relationships among the team members of the company.
The differences between leader and manager:
Essential skills of a manager
1. Good communication: The most important skill that a manager needs to possess is to have good communication skills and to send the right communication across the members of the team.
2. Organization skill: The businesses need to organize the workflow within the organization. They need to plan, schedule and organize the flow of tasks and allocate it to the team members.
3. Team building: The well-being of the team members is very important for achieving the goals of the organization. The manager needs to develop healthy relationships within the teams which will avoid conflicts in the firm.
4. Leadership: A good manager needs to lead the members of the team in an effective way. It is the responsibility of a manager to define the goals and assign tasks to the members of the team.
5. Tackle changes effectively: Managers are flexible and adaptable to the changes that happen within the company. Managers that can tackle change effectively within the company can help the members to adapt to the changes effectively.Types of Management
The most common types of management are as follows:
1) Operations Management
Focuses on designing and controlling the production process of goods or services to generate the highest possible efficiency within an organisation. Its main motive is maximizing the profit of the organization.
2) Sales Management
Deals with the management of sales operations, sales teams, and sales accounts of an organization. Sales management coordinates the sales department with resources to achieve a sales goal.
3) Strategic Management
Deals with the complete process of an organization’s strategy development and its implementation to grow and sustain competitive advantage. It’s a function of an executive which may be reported to the organization’s owners.
4) Marketing Management
Marketing management is the management of products, brands, marketing strategies, and promotions and growing customers through creating, delivering, and communicating with customers.
5) Public Relations
Public relations deal with the management of communications between the public and the firm. A public relations specialist shares information, views, and opinions with the target audience indirectly or directly through media to create and maintain a positive brand image and develop a good relationship with the audience.
6) Supply Chain Management
Supply chain management is the process of a product’s or service’s movement from supplier to consumer. It manages the goods’ and services’ flow and involves all processes which are from transforming raw materials into products
7) Financial and Accounting Management
Financial and accounting management deals as the name mentions with the management of financial and accounting functions, teams and processes. Financial management and accounting management are related in such a way that accounting gives vital input for financial decision-making.
8) Procurement Management
Procurement management is the management of goods and services purchased or obtained from outside external sources for production.
9) Human Resource Management
Human resource management takes care of attracting, recruiting, training, paying, rewarding staff and motivating and managing employee performance.
10) Research & Development (R&D) Management
Research & Development (R & D) Management manages the employees and processes of research and development. In this ever-changing technological world, companies are needed to be innovative, develop new products and improve the existing products and customers.
11) Information Technology (IT) Management
Information technology management deals with the management of information technology processes and teams within the firm. It is the process by which all information technology-related resources are managed as per the company’s needs and priorities.
12) Engineering Management
Engineering management manages engineering applications for business solutions.
13) Project Management
Project management means the planning, organizing, management and controlling of projects.
14) Program Management
Program management is the management of continuing projects matters.
15) Change Management
Change management deals with the application of a systematic approach to change in business. The motive of change management is to help teams and organizations make easy transformations or changes to market conditions.
16) Risk Management
Risk management identifies, assesses and manages the chances that processes and objectives may face negative consequences.
17) Innovation Management
Innovation management manages innovation processes such as research and development, strategy, or organizational changes.
18) Quality Management
Quality management manages the planning of quality, its controlling, its assurance and its improvement of products and services.
19) Facility Management
Facility management manages facilities such as offices, branches, data centres, and network operations centres.
20) Design Management
Design management means managing design processes such as visiting card design, business card design, new product design, brochure design, etc.
Summary
Manager is one who coordinates the tasks in the firm, delegates authority to the sub-ordinates, takes part in decision making and acts as a leader in the organization.
Managers play an essential role in any organization, and they possess a variety of skills, abilities and experience. Managing staff effectively is complex and challenging as each team member may have unique needs.
Managers also have varied management styles that must be taken into account when developing strategies for effective performance management.
Knowing which type of manager you are can help you to identify weaknesses and develop strategies to become more effective at managing your staff and achieving success in the workplace. This article will provide an overview of the seven types of managers to help you determine which one applies to you.
FAQ's on Manager & Management:
A business manager is a supervisor who leads and oversees an organization that connects with employees and departments and operations.
Managers can give leadership to their teams, providing a purpose and direction that employees can trust.
Good managers support their employees and trust in their abilities.
