MGT 521 week 1 summary

The Basics of Management

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The Basics of Management

Management can be defined as the coordination, organization, planning, controlling and actuating the business activities so as to determine and ultimately accomplish the defined business objectives with the use of resources and people (Havinal, 2009). The benefits of being an exceptional manager is that one will set up their team for success because they will deliver successfully results which are aligned with the goals of the company. This is because during the year, a great manager will identify where his/her team is and directs his/her attention where it is needed.

There are four main functions of a manager. The first one is planning, which is defined by Lussier & Kimball (2009) as a process of settling objectives as well as determining beforehand how the objectives will be met. The other function is organizing, which is the process of coordinating activities and delegating duty so as to have things happen. Managers are also tasked with leading, which entails influencing a group of people (employees) to reach and get to a particular objective. Finally there is controlling, which is the establishment and implementation of mechanisms that will ensure that the organization gets to its desired objectives (Lussier & Kimball 2009).

Being a manager today has its fair share of challenges. One of them is getting the best out of the employees. It is a hard task, because some employees may have bad days that may result to underperforming. Establishing business ethics for them is also a hurdle, since it is the cases of uncouth management that grab the headlines, and the good ones have to toil to make a name for themselves. How to deal with complex issues such as downsizing is a challenge to expect, since the effects could go beyond the confines of the workplace. There will be moments of crisis in the organization, and how to deal with them has proven to be quite challenging. Meeting extremely high expectation from business shareholders or the executive might require extra effort. How do you get the right staff for the organization? Last but not least, things change and the manager is expected to change with them. This is a challenge to some, as the dynamics of technology might be too fast for many people.

According to Lussier & Kimball (2009), there are 5 skills every manager must have to be a great one. They include technical skills, which is the ability to apply procedures and methods to perform a task, communication skills, which is the ability to relay ideas clearly and effectively, people skills, which is the ability to work and interact with people, conceptual skills, which refers to the ability of a person to understand ideas, and finally decision making skills, which refers to the ability to choose from many alternatives.

Besides having the prerequisites of being a manager, every successful manager treats the employees with respect. Some of the things that work so well in motivating the employees are like praising them in the presence of their colleagues. As a manager, one must help employees align their own objectives to those of the organization’s. It is important to talk with every employee about their own personal goals and what they want out of life, career wise. This goes a long way in assuring them that you indeed care for them, and in return they will do their best in achieving the organization’s goals and objectives. An exceptional manager needs to go beyond what is required of him/her. He stays in the office late, if need be, and he comes up with new ideas that will propel the organization to where it’s supposed to be. Management and entrepreneurship have a very significant and close relationship. This is because when a manager is shrewd enough to propel a business where he/she has seniors, then he/she won’t have any problem being an entrepreneur. However, the manager should only have the drive and opportunism that the entrepreneur has, if he needs to excel in entrepreneurship.

References

Havinal, V. (2009). Management and entrepreneurship. New Delhi: New Age International.

Lussier, R., & Kimball, D. (2009). Applied sport management skills. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.