As a basis of discussion, we can define management as the responsibility for and control of a company or organization. Congruently, the act of overseeing the operational details of some form of organization such as a business, a not for profit entity or government organization.
Responsibilities
Those who are in management have a lot of responsibilities which vary according to the level of management that they function in. More than likely there will be some common tasks that managers share despite which role they have and no matter how big or small the company or organization is.
Employees
Managers will have the responsibility of several employees. As such, their management duties in this area will consist of the following:
- Employee interaction: Managers have to engage with employees through communication, both verbal and written.
- Production: It is the manager’s responsibility to see to it that each employee is producing at their level of expectation.
- Goals: Management should be setting goals for employees, and it is up to the manager to see that the employee has all of the necessary resources to meet these goals.
Planning
Management has to have a full understanding of the culture of the company in which they function. They have the task of developing strategies for the company that will, in turn, be implemented by the employees.
Resources
It is of extreme importance that employees are empowered with the right tools and resources that are needed for their tasks. It is up to the manager to identify what these are and make sure that they are available to each worker.
Training
Management may or may not be responsible for the training of the staff. A manager does have to make sure that the appropriate training is in place. This means identifying what training is needed and then making sure the right resources are in place to do the training.
Management Levels
In a small company, there may only be one manager who reports directly to the owner of a company. In larger entities, there can be several levels of managers.
Top Level Management
This level of management generally consists of those with a title within the company, such as Chief Executive Officer, Vice President, President, and board of directors. Their duties come with more responsibilities as they have to manage the entire company and not just one department or segment of it.
Middle Management
When it comes to middle management, the workers at this level are sometimes called General Managers. If there are several locations to a company, then those who are in middle management are often called the Branch Managers. A Branch Manager will usually have to focus on tasks like organizing the workload and overseeing a group of employees within the company.
Lower Management
As a rule, this is the level of management that the majority of employees have the most contact with. Positions in lower management include Department Leader as well as Supervisor.
Understanding what management is will allow an individual to determine if this is a career that they want.