Six Key Management Roles for Human Services Social Workers

Introduction

The six roles examined in this paper represent what a human services manager — and specifically a social work manager — must perform effectively and consistently: team builder-leader, advocate, policy practitioner, goal attainment, management of people, and proficiency and efficiency. Each role is defined using foundational course readings and then extended with evidence from peer-reviewed literature and professional sources.

Team Builder-Leader

According to the Handbook of Human Services (Chapter 1), the team builder-leader is the person who organizes committees, coalitions, and work groups both inside and outside the agency. This individual is expected to demonstrate the leadership necessary to maximize group involvement and to accomplish positive outcomes with every task.

The peer-reviewed Records Management Quarterly offers additional perspective on this role. Fraser (1993) discusses the Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophy and uses the familiar complaint — "You can't get good help these days" — to illustrate how many managers fall back on outdated concepts rather than developing systems and teams that go beyond past practices. When a manager begins a team-building project, key questions arise: How should instructions and background information be communicated? Is a written memo appropriate and timely? Does it convey everything that needs to be said? Should the manager simply gather the team and share a vision for a stronger group?

Fraser suggests using the best available method, but a more thorough approach combines written communication with a follow-up meeting so that questions can be asked and answered in depth. As Fraser notes, "The production of a team will always be considerably more than the sum total of individual 'best efforts'" (Fraser, 1993, p. 4). Research has shown that up to 80% of problems in an organization are caused not by individuals but by the system itself; root causes can include poor communication, lack of resources, or other systemic dynamics — all of which underscore the importance of building strong teams (Fraser, 1993, p. 4).

Writing in Forbes, Glenn Llopis argues that a team builder must have "a keen understanding of people, their strengths and what gets them excited to work with others" (Llopis, 2012). A team-building leader must also be able to "manage egos and their constant demand for attention and recognition" and know "how to best utilize their competencies rightly at all times" (Llopis, 2012, p. 4).

Advocate and Policy Practitioner

The Chapter 1 definition of advocate includes fostering awareness of emerging problems and unmet needs, as well as helping organize the community to present grievances or press for change. Social work advocacy is described by Anne Marie McLaughlin as an avenue for social workers to "connect their practice with the profession's aim of social justice" (McLaughlin, 2009). According to McLaughlin, one of the key duties of a social worker is to "advocate for fair and equitable access to public services … and to advocate for equal treatment and protection under the law" (McLaughlin, 2009).

The Chapter 1 definition of policy practitioner describes a person who examines government policies and regulations related to agency operations, provides feedback on the efficacy of policy, and works to influence policy decision-makers. In Fresno County, California, for example, a social work practitioner conducts assessments, develops short- and long-term case plans, consults with clients, staff, and community agencies, and interprets and applies "laws, policies, procedures, rules and regulations" pertaining to social service programs (Fresno County, 2012).