4. Key Management Roles Flashcards
The Key Management Roles?
- The key management roles are the four roles undertaken by all levels of managers in a large scale organization.
- The key management roles describe the abilities that all managers should have.
> their performance can even be measured by their ability to succeed in the following four areas.
- planning
- organizing
- leading
- controlling
- The central concern of management is achieving objectives—getting the desired results.
- The four roles of management need to be clearly distinguished from management functions.
- Functions are different areas of responsibility, or departments
- Each role covers a key aspect of the work of managers.
Planning?
- Planning is determining achievable goals or objectives within a specified time frame.
- Alt-D: defining what should be achieved and setting out a strategy to attain goals.
Planning is the process of deciding where a team, department or whole organisation should be heading and how it intends to get there. Planning by management produces strategies to achieve objectives.
Planning is a complex and difficult intellectual exercise.
planning always involves the difficulty of forecasting variables
Plans may be expressed in words, or may be presented in the form of tables or graphs.
Planning
Levels of Planning?
Lower Levels: planning of the day-today (short-term) practices; It is usually carried out by Supervisors; its general direction is typically set by higher levels of management. It is often referred to as frontline
planning.
Middle Management: responsible for medium-term planning, which has as its aim the implementation of the organisation’s overall corporate plan; Such planning generally takes place at the departmental (or
divisional) level; is known as operational planning.
Top Management: ultimately responsible for the long-term direction of the organisation. It is responsible for strategic planning.
»>Strategic planning is a far-reaching process that aims to manage both the organisation’s resources (of all kinds) and its business opportunities to achieve its long-term objectives.
»>Relies on long run forecasts and predictions
In strategic planning, (Mngmnt) needs to consider complex, interrelated and long range issues, such as:
i) Introduction of new products; Marketing strategies
ii) Changes to org structure; Level, direction and extent of investment
Planning
Planning or decision making Model?
Step 1: Identify the problem or issue SETTING OBJECTIVES
>why the plan has to be made.
>where the org wants to go.
>redefining or modifying existing objectives
Step 2: conduct a a SWOT analysis ANALYSING THE PRESENT AND FUTURE
>determine possible avenues to pursue and will clarify options available
>Use SWOT to summarise the factors includes in strategic analysis
Step 3: devise a number of planning options DEVELOPING AND EVALUATING ALTERNATIVES
>several options could be developed that might fulfil the needs of the LSO.
>consideration of orgs direction and formulation of a plan
>break overall objectives into smaller targets
Step 4: select the best option and implement it IMPLEMENTATION
>Top Mangmnt must coordinate the implementation of the plan
Step 5: monitor this plan and evaluate its effectiveness MONITORING AND REVIEWING
>very important stage; the evaluation should be based on why the plan is needed and why it was made.
>Review assesses success or shortcomings in the achievement of targets
Step 6: if plan is inadequate, go back to step 3 and re-evaluate
> There should be a number of options available.
Planning
New Style Planning?
• The style of corporate planning is changing to suit the fast moving business world
o Plan as a living document; continually updated
o Shorter planning periods
o Short term measurable outcomes
o Less detailed planning
o Shift in forms of communication
o Planning process uses a range of tools and techniques
Planning
SWOT Analysis?
• SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
>Conducting a SWOT analysis is standard practice in many LSOs, particularly as part of their planning process.
>SWOT analyses are used by all types of LSOs.
>They provide a valuable way to clarify the strategic planning possibilities and direction of any type of LSO.
Strengths
>what is working well in the current situation in internal and operating environments.
Weaknesses
>what is not working well in the current situation in internal and operating environments.
(S andW: internal: people; organisation; systems; communications; products)
Opportunities
>are there potential chances for success in future in internal, operating and macro environments.
Threats
>are there potential forces that could prevent successes in the future.
( O and P: External: Market; technology; economic climate; society; legislation)
> once the plan has been determined, it has to be put into action.
this role is called organising.
Organising ?
- Organising is the coordination of resources and systems so that plans and objectives can be achieved.• Alt-D: is the process of making arrangements to use staff, equipment and financial resources to carry out a plan.
- Resources include human resources (workers), money, time, knowledge, raw materials, and equipment and workers skills.
• Managers manage people, hence part of their role is to organise the workers in such a way as to ensure that all required jobs are completed in the most productive manner.
>this is known as task allocation.
>The way the jobs are done is part of the organising of the systems;
>systems include organising who is to complete work, and the resources that are required and / or available including the time frame.
• Managers work with the resources that are necessary for their departments and set out to put plans into action.
Organising is the process of defining the relationship between staff and tasks so that all the resources of an organisation are working towards its objectives. Organising is the coordination of an organisation’s human, physical and financial resources to get the results it wants.
Cover areas such as:
i) Establishing the structure
ii) Establishing staff
iii) Assigning responsibilities
iv) Delegating authority
v) Communication with other levels/departments
Leading?
- Leading: In a workplace context, is the process of influencing workers so that they want to do their best to achieve organisational objectives.
- Alt-D: is the process of influencing others to accomplish tasks.
• Managers can be differentiated from leaders:
>a manager issues directives
>whereas a leader, through demonstration of personal qualities
>can often achieve good results because they want to follow their lead.
>The qualities or characteristics of leaders are sometimes interchangeable with those of good managers.
- This management role seeks to secure the commitment of staff to the organisation’s objectives.
- The same role is also referred to as directing.
Leading
Characteristics of a good leader?
Characteristics and qualities of good leadership can be classified according to the following three categories.
Interpersonal Qualities • >the way leaders relate to their colleagues and other employees • >vision • >inspirational qualities • >trust • >humility
Informational Qualities
• >leaders should have the knowledge required of a person in their role.
• >gathering relevant info
• >analysing and understanding implications of info
• >communicate info
Decision making qualities
• >do what is best for the organisation
• >the choice of management style contributes to making a good leader.
• >leaders must make hard decisions; good leaders take this responsibility.
Why Leadership is Important
• Good leaders can contribute in a positive way to improving the culture of a LSO to one in which relationships are strong and all employees have a willingness to achieve.
Leading
Essential Behaviours of modern leaders:?
- Know your people and your business
- Insist on Realism
- Set clear goals and objectives
- Follow Through
- Reward the Doers
- Expand capabilities through coaching
- Know yourself
Controlling?
- Controlling: Involves implementing and monitoring systems necessary to regulate activities and allow the evaluation of the achievement of plans.
- Alt-D: Is establishing methods to measure performance, measuring performance and taking corrective action to improve performance.
> if all workers follow the same procedure, then errors should be eliminated.
> the evaluation of aspects of a lso is part of controlling.
by using key performance indicators to assess if objectives are being achieved, managers can establish some degree of control.
Controlling is the establishing by management of ways to compare actual performance with planned performance. The term monitoring is often used as a substitute for controlling. This management role is concerned with evaluating progress in implementing strategies and achieving objectives.
Performance indicators and processes to evaluate progress can be based on financial or non-financial information.
Involves the following:
1) Establishing performance standards
2) Determining methods of measuring performance
3) Measuring actual performance
4) Comparing the actual performance with established standards
5) Taking corrective action when necessary
6) Reviewing performance standards
Controlling
What needs to be controlled in a LSO?
- Finances:
- > All LSOs require money to operate.
- > if the finances are not being controlled, money that could be going into productive areas will be wasted.
- Employees:
- > control here means having established work policies, producers and practices.
- Resources:
- > The control of resources other than employees is often the responsibility of the operations manager.
