What is a managerial role?

Managerial roles are behaviors adopted to perform various management

functions, like leading and planning, organizing, strategizing, and solving
problems. Within an organization, managers of different levels have different
responsibilities that may overlap.

Henry Mintzberg classified managerial roles based on their purpose. He

developed 10 managerial roles and divided them in 3 categories, grouping the
roles that share similar features. Some of these features can be applied to two or
more roles at the same time.
Figurehead
This role requires performing social, ceremonial, and legal responsibilities. The
Figurehead represents the organization, as well as motivates the team to achieve
goals. For people, this managerial role is a source of power and authority.

Examples:

 Managers in the figurehead role attend social event where they promote
their company.
 Greeting a potential business client and giving a tour.

Leader
The leader role is the most pivotal as it shows to which extent a manager’s
potential is realized. Managers are in charge of their people's performance, which
may mean leading a team, a department, or an entire organization.

The responsibilities include hiring and training (direct leadership) and

encouragement of employees (indirect leadership). Leaders influence and
motivate people, giving them a sense of purpose to reach organizational goals.

Example:

 A manager sets a goal for the team and communicates his expectations,
making sure that people understand them. He monitors their progress and
provides feedback and resources if needed.

Liaison
Managers in the liaison role develop and maintain internal and external
relationships. They are a connection link that bridges the gap between employees
of different levels to ensure work is done smoothly. Liaisons transfer knowledge
through different members of the organization, up and down the chain of
command, and can also involve their business contacts from outside the
company.
Examples:

 A manager coordinates with people inside the company, as well as

coordinating work between the company’s units.
 A manager coordinates with people outside the organization, such as
buyers, suppliers, and strategic partners.
 Manager-client-employee interaction. A manager communicates with a
client to see what the client's needs are, providing this information to the
employees after the fact.

Monitor
In the monitor role, managers are expected to look for information necessary for
their organization, as well as for information that can concern potential industry
changes. They gather internal and external sources, trying to identify problems
and opportunities for growth. In other words, they scan the environment to
assess the current state of things in a company and see if corrective action is
needed.

Examples:

 Seeking customer feedback to see how exactly you can improve your
products or services.
 Monitoring industry trends, like products made by competitors or
government regulatory changes, in order to meet standards and stay on
track.

Disseminator
Receiving information from various sources, a manager in the disseminator role is
responsible for sharing it with those who may need it. This can be done in both
verbal and written forms.
A manager can pass on information directly to the appropriate person, or pass it
on between subordinates if they lack contact. The information can concern the
organization's direction or strategy, as well as specific technical issues.

Examples:

 A one-on-one conversation between a manager and an employee where a

certain issue is discussed.
 Developing a proposal for a new product design, submitting it to upper
management for approval, and providing it to the employees so that they
can get familiarized with it.

Spokesperson
Managers in a spokesperson role speak for their organization, defending the
company's interests. Their responsibility is to make the organization look good in
the eyes of potential or new clients and the general public.

Examples:

 A manager attends the annual shareholders’ meeting, informing the

attendees about the results her team has achieved this year and presenting
statistics.
 A manager speaks on behalf of the company at a conference.
 Division leaders talk to other division leaders, informing them about
strategies and resource requirements.
 CEOs meet with investors or government officials to give them information
about the company which they may find useful. This way, they can
persuade investors that their company is pursuing a good strategy, and
raise some capital.
Entrepreneur
In the entrepreneur role, a manager organizes and runs business processes. This
role develops and implements new ideas or strategies, which often means coming
up with innovative solutions. Entrepreneurs create conditions for change since
innovation and change are needed for a company to stay competitive. Besides,
they make sure a company adopts new products and processes pioneered by
others or change the organizational structure.

Examples:

 A manager decides to use social media to increase sales.

 A manager reorganizes a weak department, or uses mergers or
acquisitions.

Disturbance handler
A manager solves issues as they arise – like sales that grow too slowly, a client
breaking a contract, or valuable employees leaving. The task of the manager in
the disturbance handler role is to fix the problem, maintaining productivity.

Example:

 When two members of a team have a conflict, it’s the manager’s

responsibility to help them resolve it.

Resource Allocator
The resource allocator role requires a manager to determine how and where to
apply organizational resources. By resources we mean equipment, staff, funding,
facilities, and time. Typically, the resources an organization has are limited, so it
takes some effort to decide how to best allocate them.

Example:
  A manager divides funding between the departments of his organization,
based on their current and future needs.
 A marketing manager divides funding between media advertizing and
promotions.
 A resource manager distributes project workload across people.

Negotiator
Managers participate in negotiations, trying to reach their goals. This managerial
role includes negotiating with external parties, where they represent the interests
of their organizations, as well as negotiating with internal parties, such as other
departments or team members.

The better negotiation skills managers have, the higher their chances to come to
an agreement with customers, better organize the work process, and gain access
to more resources.

Examples:

 A manager negotiates pricing, delivery, and design with customers.

 A manager negotiates over access to capital and personnel with seniors.
Emerging Challenges for Management

1) Globalization of business:

Companies that experience saturation in local markets find new ways to promote
and sell their products in other territories of the globe where the laws, culture,
and customer needs differ. Businesses need to tackle globalization when they
expand their operations to other regions, dive into the markets and compete with
companies of that region. It helps them build new revenue sources. As businesses
begin to transact globally, you have to deal with the following:

 increase in foreign projects

 handling multicultural workforce
 anti-capitalism backlash
  tax and legal compliance
 compete with similar organizations in new market segments
 cost-effective workforce
2) Ethics and social responsibility:

Business ethics is about making the right choices, and social responsibility is about
making ethical decisions. Both elements assist businesses:

 Obtain an advantage over rivals and draw in more customers

 Create a positive work culture to attract and retain candidates

Increasing societal expectations from business organizations increase the

complexity of ethical decision-making. Organizations need to play a part in
improving the well-being of people in society by addressing deforestation, toxic
wastage, pollution of land, water, and air, and changing climate conditions.

Environmental issues are a cause for concern, thereby increasing the need for
managers to protect and preserve natural resources by adopting renewable
energy sources, utilizing technologies that reduce energy consumption,
preserving the natural environment and habitat, and conserving water for future
benefits.

3) Workforce diversity:

One of the main aspects businesses need to focus on to improve organizational

culture and productivity is handling diversity in the workplace. Organizations
should facilitate inclusive work environments for employees with varying
individual characteristics, values, preferences, behaviors, beliefs, experiences, and
backgrounds.

There is a consistent increase in diversity due to transformation in population

dimensions, improved workforce, societal pressure, and globalization. Businesses
face challenges in adapting their management approach to suit diverse individuals
with different lifestyles, family needs, and work styles. Organizations need an
eclectic mix of individuals to interact, share ideas and adapt to changes to
maintain an edge over competitors’ global business environment.
4) Empowering the workforce:

Businesses are adopting a participative management approach by empowering

assembly line workers in making decisions as they have awareness and knowledge
of the actual problems and can contribute more. Best management practices
emphasize making decisions at the place where work is performed concerning
schedules and processes and solving work-related problems. Educating and
encouraging assembly line workers to make the best decisions gives them
authority, increasing their value and morale. Also, consulting employees of
interdependent departments improves consistency in executing tasks.

5) Integrating advancements:

The business climate is evolving with best practices and advancements, and
organizations must make way for continuous learning to adapt to new concepts,
theories, strategies, and innovations. Adapting to technological advancements
enhances the business process, products, and manner of delivering services.
Failure to adapt to changes has led to the downfall of several leading businesses.
It would be best for organizations to recruit skilled individuals willing to
continuously learn, share ideas and knowledge, and work together as a team.

6) Implementing quality management systems:

Increasing performance by utilizing fewer resources does not guarantee optimal

outcomes. Implementing business process reengineering or total quality
management systems, which emphasize the need for transforming processes and
approaches, and achieving customer satisfaction, improves efficiency and profits.

7) Knowledge management:

Knowledge management is collecting, analyzing, and organizing information and

making it accessible to employees to facilitate learning, problem-solving, decision-
making, strategic planning, and efficiency. Knowledge can be technical resources,
frequently asked questions, training documents, or people skills. The main
objective is to share information with the right people at the right time to:

 manage specific business tasks/projects

 improve processes and technology
8) Outsourcing:

Outsourcing specific processes in production to third-party manufacturing

companies helps to bring down labor costs and enhance product quality. Since
the organization cannot perform every activity by itself, outsourcing the
production process to other companies offers several benefits:

 Utilize existing infrastructure without the need for additional investments.

 Allows business owners to focus on core activities.
 Allocate operations profitably.
 Choose suppliers who are leaders in that particular segment and have the
advantage of providing superior-quality products.
 Redirect the company’s resources to work on core operations.
9) Time management:

Time management is critical when you are working on multiple tasks or projects.
Effectively plan your time and control the amount of time you spend on specific
tasks to improve efficiency. You can develop your skills in effective time
management with practice by:

 Plan your work in advance

 Prioritize your work and work on a single task/project at a time
 Avoid distractions

It offers:

 Work-life balance
 Improve your performance
 Complete tasks within the timeframe
 Reduces stress and boosts productivity and confidence
10) Deal with stress:

Work hours, fewer resources, and job insecurity significantly contribute to work-
related stress. It can lead to various health risks ranging from mild to potentially
serious health conditions. Adopt effective strategies to minimize stress:

 Prepare a plan and approach your work systematically

 Be clear on job roles and duties and work on specific tasks at a time
  Stay away from perfectionism and aim to put in your best efforts
11) Handle conflicts:

Conflicts can sometimes significantly bring down productivity and affect

emotional wellness. Or trigger new ideas and innovation, and improve flexibility
and interpersonal relationships at work. Effectively handling conflicts helps
organizations to make progress:

 Identify the cause/reasons that triggered the problem

 Plan to have a constructive conversation by adopting active listening
 Investigate and find ways to arrive at a mutual solution
 Evaluate and take preventive measures to avoid issues in future