Folklore and Facts About Managerial Work

Managerial

Henry Fayol postulated that planning, organizing, coordinating, and controlling were the four basic functions of a manager, and that all of a manager's tasks could be classified into one of these fundamental categories. While a neat and convenient way to describe managerial duties, these four words are inadequate to describe the full gamut of responsibilities that a business manager undertakes in the twenty-first century, according to Henry Mintzberg. A manager's work often goes beyond these four tasks or cannot be so simply classified. Almost a century after Fayol defined his theory of management, the business community needs to reexamine the role and function of a manager. In "The Manager's Job: Folklore and Fact," Mintzberg outlines the myths about managers that have been perpetuated, and how to dispel them. The author states that his intention is to "break the reader away from Fayol's words and introduce him to a more supportable, and ... more useful, description of managerial work," (p. 50). Mintzberg's conclusions are based on observation-based research.

According to the author there are four main myths about managers. One, managers are "reflective, systematic planners." (p. 50). In fact, Mintzberg notes that managers are not at all "reflective." Instead, they work at a frenetic pace performing duties that are less clear-cut than is commonly thought; managerial duties are more sporadic and disjointed than they are "systematic."

Myth number two is that effective managers have no regular duties. On the other hand, managers do perform some ritual tasks, such as meeting with clients in negotiations. Therefore, managers do have regular duties.

Three, formal management information systems are necessary. Rather, Mintzberg states that managers far favor verbal means of communication over vast impersonal systems of data. The fourth myth is that management has become a science and a profession. In fact, because managers are called upon to make value judgments and intuitive decisions, their work is as much art as it is science.

To dispel these myths, Mintzberg offers a role-based view of managerial work. Managers serve several types of interpersonal roles: as figurehead and as leader. He is endowed with formal authority within the organization. The manager also acts as a liaison, connecting with others, networking, and communicating horizontally as well as vertically.

Managers also serve a number of different informational roles by gathering, analyzing, and processing data. As a monitor, the manager "scans his environment" for information, by observing, interrogating, and listening (p. 56). The manager also disseminates information to others within the organization and also acts as a spokesperson who communicates with people outside of the organization or with shareholders.

Managers serve decisional roles too: they are entrepreneurs when they suggest innovative means for growth; they handle disturbances and conflicts that may arise; they decide how to allocate resources; and they make key decisions through negotiation. Managers usually serve many more than one, if not all, of these different roles during the course of their careers. As Mintzberg states, the ten roles he describes form a "gestalt, an integrated whole," (p. 59). Because the roles are integrated, team management poses some problems because the team must work together as a cohesive unit in order to succeed. On the other hand, managers in specific business sectors may favor one or a cluster of roles over the others. For instance, a sales manager may emphasize his or her interpersonal roles.

Mintzberg advises that managers become self-aware, self-critical and introspective. The author describes the three main "managerial logjams" that, when overcome, can increase effectiveness (p. 60). These include: discovering systematic ways to share privileged information; seeing the big picture rather than becoming caught up in details; and managing time effectively. "If there is a single theme that runs through this article, it is that the pressures of his job drive the manager to be superficial in his actions," (p. 60). In other words, the manager must think, act, and speak quickly and be well-prepared to encounter obstacles and interruptions. The effective manager also knows how to communicate and disseminate information without breaching confidentiality, and how to prioritize duties in order or urgency.