This is the third article in a series looking at Management and how you can understand it better and use it in your business. For the previous previously sections, please contact BusinessPlanningMadeEasy.com using the links at the bottom of the article.

WHAT ARE THE ROLES OF MANAGEMENT?

In today's business world, organisations are desperate to show potential employees how they value their staff. Policies have been designed and implemented that support working mothers, working fathers, personal development, and the growth of the staff member within their career. In fact, many people will assess potential employers according to the support they provide their staff.

But, traditional business management models are still used every day. Quantitative methods are applied to help with decision making on new products, systems, and the like. A certain level of bureaucracy is applied to a business, maintaining a hierarchy, and systems are always assessed according to output - i.e. is there a better way it can be done to maximize profits?

But, what specific roles have been created for managers? If you are a manager, can you see which of these roles applies to you? According to Henry Mintzberg (The Nature of managerial Work, 1973), there are ten primary roles within management.

1. Figurehead - examples include greeting visitors, signing legal documents
2. Leader - examples include virtually all activities that involve subordinates
3. Liaison - examples include acknowledging mail; doing external board work; performing other activities that involve outsiders
4. Monitor - examples include reading periodicals and reports; maintaining personal contacts
5. Disseminator - examples include holding informational meetings; making phone calls to relay information
6. Spokesperson - examples include holding board meetings; giving information to the media
7. Entrepreneur - examples include organising strategy and review sessions to develop new programs
8. Disturbance Handler - examples include organising strategy and review sessions that involve disturbances and crises
9. Resource Allocator - examples include scheduling; requesting authorisation; performing any activity that involves budgeting and the programming of subordinates' work
10. Negotiator - examples include participating in union contract negotiations

The reality is that most managers fulfil aspects of these ten roles most of the time. Some levels of management within an organisation will carry out tasks reflective of certain roles more than others (eg top level managers making more decisions). But for a business to perform at its best, its managers should be able to perform the majority of these roles. This is even more important if the organisation is a small business, as the resources to employ different people for different roles are not readily available.