Management: The Art of Getting Things Done Through People
What exactly is meant by 'management'? Unfortunately, management is a concept that has not been defined accurately as yet, and it is even today difficult to understand perfectly the general terms that are used in conjunction with management. However, it must be stated that management is nothing but the art of getting things done through other people. This was a definition that was offered by the President of the American Management Association in 1980. However, today, management is being defined as working 'with' and 'through' people so that the primary objectives of the organization and all its members can be fulfilled. There are certain important differences between the two definitions, and they are that, for one, today, there is more importance on the human being in the firm, and the focus has shifted to the results that need to be accomplished rather than on things and objects, and thirdly, today's' management means that the achievement of the members' personal objectives can be and must be integrated closely with the organizations' objectives. (Montana; Charnov, 1)Therefore, what this has come to signify is that today, management has become both a science as well as an art, and the manager must be seen as an individual,
However, the traits that inevitably mark a 'good manager' are many and varied, but there are certain traits that seem to be recognized and accepted universally. These are that, for one, a good manager must be an effective and an efficient communicator, he must be able to delegate responsibilities, he must be able to encourage employee participation, and also encourage them to ask questions. A good manager must also possess the innate ability and capability of encouraging and leading the staff of his organization, and to inspire them through his actions and words. However, a good manager must also realize that all theses things may not occur naturally; they must be learned and acquired over a period of time. When taken on an individual level, this would mean that the manager would have to learn through experience, training, and then development, and for an organization, this would mean putting money and commitment into the betterment of these areas, and also that there must be a good and effective management development strategy in place. (What makes a good manager?) However, if one wants to be a 'good manager', then one must realize that one may not have all the answers to all the questions at all times; rather, he must acknowledge that he too would have to learn the answers to those questions that he doesn't have the answers for, even though he may be more experienced or more knowledgeable than the others in the organization. When an individual takes up a job as a manager, this would be one of the first things that he must do, that is, he must realize that he doesn't know everything. A new manager also must not try to bring in huge changes all at once into the organization, just so that he would be able to show off his talents. He must, on the other hand, wait for some time, as the systems that have been in place all these years must have been good, otherwise the firm would have downed its shutters. He must be a good communicator, all employees in general respect a manager who communicates to them exactly what they did wrong, rather than laying blame anywhere and everywhere. (What you need to know about being a good manager) These then are the hallmarks of a good manager, and when there is a good manager running an organization, then it would mean a satisfied and well directed team of employees, and this would in turn mean better productivity and better output. A good manager is therefore an extremely valuable asset to the organization.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Montana Charnov, Joyce F06, Management Association, Anne Colette, , common sense, makes manager, montana charnov 1, manager expected, charnov 1, manager possess, manager realize, answers questions, bring changes, organization mean, montana charnov,
Approximate Word count = 1662
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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