5 Responsibilities of Every Manager

5 Responsibilities of Every Manager
By Les Taylor

Peter Drucker, known as the father of modern management, maintained that every manager – in any organization – has five primary roles and responsibilities. Drucker said every manager organizes, sets objectives, measures, motivates and communicates and, lastly every manager develops people – including themselves.

I’ll add my two cents as to how each role might work in the real world.

1. Managers organize essentially three things:
   1. People (Who?)

      Managers make sure the right person is in the right job. By right person I mean the person with the right skills, training and/or experience is in a position that plays to that person’s particular strengths and abilities.

   2. Process (What?)

      W. Edwards Deming, one of the great management thinkers of the last century said: “If you can’t describe what you’re doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing.” Good managers analyze, develop and create the right process for the right job.

   3. Priorities (When?)

      Knowing the right thing to do is only half the battle, the other half is knowing when to implement or initiate. Everything doesn’t have the same priority. A good manager sees the big picture and makes the right move at the right time.

2. Managers Set Objectives

   Goals, objectives, mile posts, whatever you choose to call them – are simply ways to set a particular direction or reach specific objective. How much and by when are the two questions for framing an objective.

3. Managers Measure

   Measure what? Measure against set objectives. Good managers are pragmatic. They let the data speak for itself. We’re either moving in the direction we intend to go – or we aren’t. Good measurements tell us when it’s time to make course corrections.

4. Managers Motivate and Communicate

   Good managers stimulate interest in achievement and accomplishment through positive reinforcement. Effectively communicating what needs to be done and why – along with healthy doses of encouragement – lead to positive results.

5. Managers Develop people – Including themselves

   We train animals but we develop people. Helping others grow and mature personally and professionally is an integral part of a manager’s role. Good managers see the benefits continuous improvement – for others and for themselves. They don’t let themselves or others get stuck in the wilderness of the status quo.

These five roles and responsibilities are not all-inclusive but they do speak to five important skills every manager – in any organization – needs to have and develop.

Management is a skill that needs to be nurtured and developed. Take time today to discuss this article with your boss – or your team.

Les Taylor is a professional speaker, author, consultant, and recognized expert in the field of personal improvement and professional development. With over three decades of success and achievement in both the public and private sectors, Les Taylor is uniquely qualified to help individuals and organizations improve performance and productivity, both personally and professionally. Les served as the assistant chief of police in Tempe, Arizona, and retired in 1993 to become the executive director of the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police. After leaving law enforcement, Les traveled internationally, presenting seminars on ethical leadership on four continents. As the president and CEO of Outperformers International, Les is now helping individuals and organizations improve performance, productivity, and profitability by introducing them to time-tested principles for success and achievement. He is a graduate of Arizona State University and the FBI National Academy.