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A good stage manager is punctual and

dependable.
t

HINA PHOTOSTM
Department of Physiology
University of Karichi

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anages are organizational members who arc responsible for the work
. performance of other organizational members. Managers have. formal
authority to use organizational resources and to .make decisions. In
organizations, there are typically three levels or management: [op-level,
middle-level, and first-level. These three main levels of managers forM a
hierarchy, in which they arc ranked in order of importance. In most
organizations, the number of managers at each level is such.that the
hierarchy resembles a pyramid, With many more first-level managers,
fewer middle managers, and the fewest managers at the top level. Each
of these management levels is described below in terms of their possible
job titles and their primary responsibilities and the paths taken to hold
these positions. Additionally, there are differences across the
management levels as to what types of management tasks each.does and
the l'oles that they take in their jobs. Finally, there are a number of
Changes that are occurring in many organizations that are .changing the
management hierarchies in them, such as the increasing use of teams,.
the preyalence of outsourcing, and the Battening of organizational
structures.

,TOP-LEVEL MANAGERS

Top-level managers, or top .managers, are also called senior

management or executives. These individuals are at the top one
or two levels in an organization, and hold titles such as: Chief
Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief
Operational Officer (COO), Chief Informatibn Officer (C10),
Chairperson of the Board, President, Vice president, Corporate
head.

departments and other business units..Middle managers can

motivate and assist first-line managers to achieve business
objectives. Middle managers may also communicate upward, by
offering suggestions and feedback to top managers. Because
managers are more. involved in the day-to-day workings
of a company, they may provide valuable information to top
managers to help improve the organization's bottom line.
Jobsin middle management vary widely terms of
responsibility and salary. Depending on the size of the company
and the number of middle-level managers in the firm, middle
managers may supervie only a small group of employees, or
they may manacle very large groups, such as an entire business
location. Middle managers may be employees who were
promoted from first-level manager positions within the
organization, or they may have been hired from outside the firm.
Some middle managers may have aspirations to hold positions

in top management in the future.

FIRST-LEVEL MANAGERS
First-level managers are also called first-line managers or
supervisors. These managers have job titles such as: Office
manager,,Shift supervisor, Department manager, Foreperson,
Crew leader, Store manager.
First-line managers are responsible for the daily management of
line workersthe employees who actually produce the product
or offer the service. There are first-line managers in every work
unit in the organization. Although first-level managers typically
do not set goals for the organization, they have a very strong
influence on the company. These are the managers that most
employees interact with on a daily basis, and if the managers
.perform.poorly, employees may also perform poorly, may la.ck
motivation, or may leave the company.
In the past, most first-line managers were employees who were
promoted from line positions (such as production or clerical

Often, a set of these managers will constitute the top

management team, which is composed of the CEO, the COO,
and other department heads. Top-level managers make
decisions affecting the entirety of the firm. Top managers do not
direct the day-to-day activities of the firm; rather, they set goals
for the organization and direct the company to achieve them.
Top managers are ultimately responsible for the performance of
the organization, and often, these managers have very visible
jobs.
Top managers in most organizations have a great deal of
managerial experience and have moved upthrough the ranks of
management within the company or in another firm. An
exception to this is a top manager who is also an entrepreneur;
such an individual may start a small company and manage it
until it grows enough to support several levels of management.
Many top managers possess an advanced degree, such as a
Masters in Business Administration, but such a degree is not
required.
Some CEOs are hired in from other top management positions in
other companies. Conversely, they may be promoted from within
and groomed for top management with management
development activities, coaching, and mentoring. They may he
tagged for promotion through succession planning,.which
identifies high potential managers.

MIDDLE-LEVEL MANAGERS
Middle-level managers, or middle managers, are those in the
levels below top managers. Middle managers' job titles include:
General Manager, Plant manager, Regional manager, and
Divisional manager.
Middle-level managers are responsible for carrying out the goals
set by top management. They do so by setting goals for their

is its "people. Treat people with respect and dignity and you Wl
get thatback in spades.

wcteristics- of a .gooll man giger

A good stage manager assumes responsibility.

tj

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tagP manager keeps his cool.

A good stage manager keeps his mouth shut

and his eyes and ears open.
A good stage manager thinks ahead.
A good stage manager is considerate.
A good stage manager keeps his sense of
humor.
A good stage manager is organized and
efficient.

What makes a "good" manager?

First of all, what is management? The dictionary cletine:
management as "the act or art of managing: the conducting .or
supervising of something (as a business)." Clearly, there is a big
between being a manager and being a "good"
manager who has earned the respect of the people.

-nen;
It is interesting that the formal definition of manager
an art
v../orj "art", because in some respects, it
he
includes t
much as a science. Just about anyone can learn the basic
mechanics of becoming a manager. However, there is a certain
amount of mystery in defining that extra dimension of skills and
traits that elevates certain people tci a status of "good" manager.
What is it?

A strong leader gains the respect of his/her people hy

Principal among those actions is the involvement of the
organization in decision making. No matter how smart we think
we are as managers, we certainly don't know everything. Many
of the very best ideas come from the people on the front line of
the day to clay business. We have to have a way for people to
express those ideas and get rewarded for their contributions if
the idea pans out. Delegating many of the day to day tactical
decisions in no way undermines the manager's authority or
responsibility for the bigger picture. Remember this: If people
have enthusiastic ownership of an idea, their idea, they WILL
make it work, even if it is a BAD idea. If not, they can torpedo
even a GOOD idea.

The "good" manager fights for his/her people and they know it.
Everyone knows that outstanding performers are amply
rewarded and substandard performers are. penalized or
eliminated. People know that the decisions made by the
manager well thought out and are in the best interest of the
organization. An employee may not like the fact that the
manager had to cut their pet project out of the budget. But if the
employee is in tune with the organization, he/she will
understand why it had to be done.

A "good" manager is highly selective when building the:

"culture" the organization. People hired should "fit" the
collective personality of the organization. Loners and hotheads .
should not be merged into an organization of people who
genuinely like each other and work well together. Think about
the best sports teams. The very best ones are those where the
members are more like family than team mates.

Finally, .the good" manager will spend the extra time to collec"t
the information necessary to show how valuable the
organization is to the company. This can take any number of
forms such as cost savings, cost avoidance, improved process,
improved productivity, and so on. Then the manager rrrakes
sure everyone knows about it, from top to bottom. It is vital that
the people feel they are important and are making a contribution
to the oVerall success of the company.

There is no magic formula for becomin ig a "good" manager and

the points mentioned above are certainly not an exhaustive list.
Some of it is instinct, but it mostly stems from the gut-level
understanding that the most important thing in an organization

Recognizing people for their contributions 1;3 on of thc

ways to secure employee loyalty and to earn the perception tiiat
is smart enough to understand that he/sh,.. doesn't
the rri.-inager
know everything. Recognition and rewards are not necessarily
monetary. in some cases, simple public recognition is all that is
required. Recognition nurtures the ego and differientiates
people from their peers. Recognition just makes a person feel
good and stimulates the desire to have it happen again.

If a manager utilizes the people to help develop the

organization's mission statement, then the people will follow.
Having a solid and workable mission statement is critical to
organizational success. It can serve as the basis for decision
making. If you bounce an idea off the mission statement and it
sticks, you might do it. Otherwise, forget it. For example, if you
are in the business of developing the worlds best diagnostic
software, you are not going to open a resturant to raise extra
cash. That would be way outside the mission statement. See
the point? All .faTtical decisions should fit within the mission
statement.

Next, a "good" manager is'a strategic thinker. The mari:lger

should have at least a five to ten year view of the future. Where
does the organization want to be in five years and tactically,
what needs to be clone today, tomorrow, next week or next
month to get there? Nothing can undermine a manager faster
than having the organization perceive that the manager has no
idea of direction.

Then, there is integrity. A manager has to be seen by his

superiors and his employees as being honest and forthright and
doesn't play silly political games. No one likes a sleazy
character that cannot be trusted, especially if that person is in
charge of the careers of people. Would you?

-73 131,'

DEFINITIONS OF IVIANAGE.IWEATI
Management is the process of working with people and resources to accomplish organizational goals.
Good managers do those things both effectively and efficiently. To be ellective is to achieve
organizational goals. To be efficient is to achieve goals with minimum waste of resources, that is, to
make the best possible use of money, time, materials, and people. Some managers fail on both criteria,
or focus on one at the expense of another. The best managers maintain a clear focus on both
effectiveness and efficiency.
"Management" (from Old French management "the art of conducting, directing", from Latin
manu agere "to lead by the hand") characterizes the process of leading and directing all or part
of an organization, often a business, through the deployment and manipulation of resources
(human, financial, material, intellectual or intangible)."
This definition is interesting because it traces the root meaning back to the Latin phrase meaning
"to lead by the hand". Leading by the hand implies giving direction that is stronger than just a
passing suggestion yet still fairly gentle in approach. Leading by the hand also implies that the
person riding he leading is first going where the follower is being lead. The leader is not asking the
follower to do something he is not willing to do himself
"The guidance and control of action required to execute a program. Also, the individuals charged
with the responsibility of conducting a program."
This definition of management refers to a "program`'. This implies that, for management to be
effective there needs to be Sonie type of defined approach or system in place. This system becomes
the plan and management is guiding others in following that plan. This is often the downfall of
managers. They have no plan or,tystem. As a result their actions seem random to the people they
are managing and this leads to confusion and disappointment. This is why it is so important for
business managers to have an employee manual. Without the employee manual providing
direction, managers will struggle to be fair and balanced in their dealings with employees.
Management is the organizational process that includes strategic planning, setting objectives,
managing resources, deploying the human and financial assets needed to achieve objectives,
and measuring results:
Management also Includes recording and storing facts and Information for later use or forothers within the organization. Management functions are not limited to managers and
and reporting functions ,
supervisors. Every member of the organization has some Management as part of their job.
This definition is more in depth and tailored toward business management. No tice that it consists of
three primary activities. First, management establishes a plan. This plan becomes the road map for
what work is going to be done: Second, management allocates resources to implement the plan.
Third, management measures the results to see how the end product compares with what was
originally envisioned. Most management failings can be attributed to insufficient effort occurring in
one of these three areas:
The definition goes on to talk about how management is responsible for measuring details that may
not be required presently, but may be useful later on. These Measurements often help determine
the objectives in the planning stage.
When management is following this type of sequence, it becomes a continuing cycle. Plan, execute,
and measure. The measurements become the basis for the next planning stage and so on.

MANAGEMENT is the activity of getting things done with the aid of people and other
resources.
Management as the process of accomplishing work through the efforts of others, skilled managers
can accomplish much more through others than they can through their own single efforts.
Effective utilizatioh and coordination of resources such as capital, plant, materials, and labor
to achieve defined objectives with maximum efficiency
This definition of management looks at not only the people but the entire range of resources
necessary to follow a plan. Notice how it focuses on efficiency. Management isn't just getting from
point A to point B. It is getting there by choosing the best possible path.
1. The process of getting activities completed efficiently with and through other people
2. The process of setting and achieving goals through the execution of five basic management
functions: planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling; that utilize human,
financial, and material resources.
The first definition looks at the fact that management is getting work done through other people.
The second definition divides management up into five components. These components arc all
parts of the three components (plan, execute, measure) that we looked at above, However the
more detailed definition helps show the activities that occur in each of the three phase definition.
The process of planning, leading, organizing and controlling people within a group in order to
achieve goals; also. used to Mean the group of people who do this.
Once again, this definition of management addresses accomplishing work thrbugh other people.
This definition stresses the activities that are necessary for reaching particular goals.
The process of achieving the objectives of the business organization by bringing together
human, physical, and financial resources in an optimum combination and making the best
decision for the organization while taking into consideration its operating environment.
his definition talks about the different components that managers need to control in order to
achieve objectives. One differentiator of this definition is the way it considers the operating
environment as part of what a manager must understand.