Role and Core Responsibilities of a Manager
Part 1
The broad categories described above break down into a series of activities common to almost all managers. These include:
Providing direction to team members on efficient, timely completion of their function’s responsibilities. A customer support manager oversees and supports the team members responsible for providing telephone or online support to customers. An engineering manager works to ensure that team members are working on the top priority projects. An accounting manager oversees the teams responsible for recording and reporting on all of a firm’s financial activities.
Part 2
Coaching team members, including providing constructive and positive feedback to support on-going improvement and personal development and career growth.
Defining the roles and responsibilities needed to successfully fulfill the team’s mission to the organization.
Part 3
Recruiting and hiring (or recommending hires) for new team members. Supporting the development of new hires through training and coaching.
Reporting on the work of the team or function, including offering required scorecard data or key metrics to be reviewed by senior management.
Part 4
Providing support for navigating daily challenges or emergency issues.
Helping team members make decisions in the best interests of the company.
Part 5
Striving to create and promote a healthy, effective working environment where people feel respect, trusted, and motivated to do their best work.
Part 6
Collaborating with peer managers to solve problems that cross departmental or functional boundaries.
Part 7
Planning for upcoming periods and working to translate these plans into goals, objectives and responsibilities of team members.
It is important to note that the mix of these responsibilities tends to vary by level of manager. Top level managers spend a great deal of time planning and engaged in leadership behaviors, while front-line or first-level and middle managers are more involved in supporting employees for daily work activities.
Part 8
Participating with senior management in the definition of the firm’s strategic goals and then communicating these goals to their team members.