Roles Skills of A Manager

ROLES OF A MANAGER
1. Figurehead Role of Manager

Managers perform the duties of a ceremonial and symbolic in nature such as welcoming
official visitors, signing legal documents etc as head of the organization or strategic business
unit or department.
Duties of interpersonal roles include routine, involving little serious communication and less
important decisions. However, they are important for the smooth functioning of an
organization or department.
2. Leadership Role of Manager

All managers have a leadership role. The manager, as in charge of the organization /
department, coordinates the work of others and leads his subordinates.
This role includes hiring, training, motivating and disciplining employees. Formal authority
and functional authority provides greater potential power to exercise and get the things
done.
3. Liaison Role of Manager

As the leader of the organization or unit, the manager has to perform the functions of
motivation, communication, encouraging team spirit and the like. Further, he has to
coordinate the activities of all his subordinates, which involves the activity of liaison.
This role also requires the manager to interact with other managers outside the organization
to secure favors and information. In this role, the manager represents his organization in all
matters of formality.
4. Monitor Role of Manager

As a result of the network of contacts, the manager gets the information by scanning his
environment, subordinates, peers and superiors.
The manager seeks and receives information concerning internal and external events so as to
gain understanding of the organization and its environment. Typically this is done through
reading magazines and talking with others to learn the changes in the public’s tastes, what
competitors may be planning, and the like.
Managers, mostly collect information in verbal form often as gossip, hearsay, speculation
and through grapevine channels.
5. Disseminator Role of Manager

Manager disseminates the information, he collects from different sources and through
various means. He passes some of the privileged information directly to his subordinates,
peers and superiors who otherwise have no access to it. This information is gathered by him
from his environments and from his own equals in the organization.
The manager will play an important role in disseminating the information to his subordinates,
when they don’t have contact with one another.
6. Spokesman Role of Manager

Managers also perform a spokesperson role when they represent the organization to
outsiders. Manager is required to speak on behalf of the organization and transmit
information on organization’s plan, policies and actions.
The manager has to keep his superior informed of every development in his unit, who in
turn inform the insiders and outsiders. Directors and shareholders must be informed about
the financial performance, customers must be informed about the new product
developments, quality maintenance, government officials about implementation of law etc.
7. Entrepreneurial Role of Manager

As an entrepreneur, the manager is a creator and innovator. He initiates and oversees new
products that will improve their organization’s performance.
He seeks to improve his department, adapt to the changing environmental factors. The
manager would like to have new ideas, initiates new projects and initiates the developmental
projects.
8. Disturbance Handler Role of Manager

As a disturbance handler, managers take corrective action to response to previously
unforeseen problems. Disturbance handler role presents the manager as the involuntarily
responding to pressures. Pressures of the situation are severe and highly demand the
attention of the manager and as such the manager cannot ignore the situation.
For example, worker strike, declining sales, bankruptcy of a major customer etc. The
manager should have enough time in handling disturbance carefully, skilfully and effectively.
9. Resource Allocator Role of Manager

The most important resource that a manager allocates to his subordinates is his time. As a
resource allocator, managers are responsible for allocating human, physical and monetary
resources. Accordingly, setting up of a time schedule for the completion of an operation or
approval of expenditure on a particular project, etc., are the functions which the managers
perform in the role of a resource allocator.
The manager should have an open-door policy and allow the subordinates to express their
opinions and share their experiences. This process helps both the manager and his
subordinates in making effective decisions. In addition, the manager should empower his
subordinates by delegating his authority and power.
10. Negotiator Role of Manager

In this role, the manager represents the organization in bargaining and negotiations with
outsiders and insiders, in order to gain advantages for his own unit. He negotiates with the
subordinates for improved commitment and loyalty, with the peers for cooperation,
coordination and integration, with workers and their unions regarding conditions of
employment, commitment, productivity, with the government about providing facilities for
business expansion etc.
These negotiations are integral part of the manager’s job for only he has authority to commit
organizational resources and has nerve centre of information.
Conclusion
Though the different roles of a manager are discussed separately for convenience, they are in
fact inseparable. The manager has to perform these roles simultaneously by integrating one
with the another.
Thus, the major role of the manager is integrating all the roles while playing managerial role
or performing his tasks. In fact, the manager cannot play any role isolating the other roles.
As a strategist, the manager has to integrate all the roles in decision-making and performing
his tasks.
Top 9 Skills of an Effective Manager
This article throws light upon the top nine skills of an effective manager. The skills are: 1.
Organisational Skill 2. Technical Skill 3. Conceptual Skill 4. Human Skill 5. Decision-
making Skill 6. Administrative Skill 7. Leadership Skill 8. Behavioural Skill 9. Diagnostic or
Analytical Skill.
1. Organisational Skill:
For the success and prosperity of the enterprise, the manager must have organisational skill.
In spite of procurement of required materials, proper land, efficient workers and adequate
amount of capital, the business of the enterprise will not be fruitful if the manager lacks
organising capacity.
In order to utilise fully and advantageously the different factors of production the manager
has to determine proper organising method.
2. Technical Skill:
Technical skills include the ability and knowledge in using the techniques, procedures and
equipment involved in performing specific tasks. These skills requite specalised knowledge
and proficiency in a particular mechanical job. For instance, ability in programming and
operating computer is a technical skill. A manager should understand two things about
technical skills.
Firstly, he must know which skills should be employed in his enterprise and
Secondly, he must understand both the role of each skill and the inter-relationships among
the skills.
3. Conceptual Skill:
Conceptual skills refer to the ability to see the entire picture of the whole organisation and
the inter-relationships among its parts. Such skills help the manager to conceptualize the
environment to analyse the forces working in a situation and to take a broad view of the
organisation. Conceptual skills also include the competence to understand a problem in all
its aspects and to apply original thinking in solving it. Such competence is necessary for
rational decision-making.
4. Human Skill:
Human skill means the ability to work effectively with other people —both as an individual
and as a member of a group. These are required to win co-operation of others and to build
effective work teams. Such skills require a sense of feeling for others and capacity to see
things from others point of view. Human skills are reflected in the way a manager perceives
his superiors, subordinates, and peers. While technical skills involve mastery of “things’,
human skills are concerned with understanding of ‘people’.
5. Decision-making Skill:
Decision-making is, in fact, the main function of a manager. The managers have to make
decisions in various matters such as collection of fund, purchasing, production, sales, etc.
They are to take quick decisions in changed situations. They have to decide the best method
for the solution of different problems. So, it is essential that every manager should posses
the skill for taking right decision in proper time.
6. Administrative Skill:
A successful manager must have administrative skill. Administrative skill means the ability of
directing, supervising, coordinating and controlling various activities of the subordinates
effectively with a view to implementing the planning and decisions of the enterprise.
Administrative efficiency is a very important quality of a manager.
7. Leadership Skill:
Providing proper leadership over the different work-groups is a special quality of an efficient
manager. A manager motivates the employees, guides them, and creates their confidence on
him. The success of an enterprise depends to a great extent on right leading attitude of the
manager.
8. Behavioural Skill:
The ability to form the attitude for realising the needs, problems, grievances and feelings of
the subordinate employees, making contact and good relationship with them is known as
behavioural skill. Each manager should have such quality. Proper training programme may
be arranged for obtaining behavioural skill.
9. Diagnostic or Analytical Skill:

Diagnostic skills consist of the ability to determine the nature and circumstances of a
particular situation by analysis and examination. It is the capacity to cut through
unimportant aspects and quickly identify the heart of the problem. Diagnostic skills are
probably the most difficult skills because these require logical thinking, analytical ability,
intelligence, and creativity to be effective.
Technical skills are the most important at the supervisory or operating level of management
where a thorough understanding of job techniques is required to guide the workers. As one
moves to the higher levels of management, technical skills become less important. The
higher level managers deal with the subordinate managers and specialised technical
knowledge is comparatively less important for them.
Conceptual skills are important for top managers in preparing long-term plans, formulating
broad policy decisions, and relating the enterprise to its industry and economy. Human skills
and all others are, however, equally important at all levels of management.

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ROLES OF A MANAGER

1. Figurehead Role of Manager

2. Leadership Role of Manager

3. Liaison Role of Manager

4. Monitor Role of Manager

5. Disseminator Role of Manager

6. Spokesman Role of Manager

7. Entrepreneurial Role of Manager

8. Disturbance Handler Role of Manager

9. Resource Allocator Role of Manager

10. Negotiator Role of Manager

9. Diagnostic or Analytical Skill:

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