ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT 1ST

QUARTER
Module No. 2: Week 2:

Functions, Roles and Skills of a Manager

Learning Competency

Explain the functions, roles and skills of a manager.

Code: ABM_AOM11Ia-b-3

Objective
The Learners should be able to acquire the functions, roles and skills of a manager.

Let’s Recall!
If you can remember your Module 1 Topic, the activity below will give a review of what you
have learned. And this will connect you to our lesson this week – the functions, roles and skills of a
manager.

Multiple Choice Direction: Choose the letter of the correct answer. Explain your answer in two
sentences only.

1.Which term best describes the process of obtaining, deploying, and utilizing a variety of
essential resources to contribute to an organization’s success?
A) Planning B) organizing C) staffing D) management

2. Which management principle states that each individual should report to only one boss
in order to avoid conflict and/ or confusion?
A) division of command B) chain of command C) unity of direction D) unity of command

Let’s Understand!
Students, sit back and relax as we go along with the functions, skills and roles of a manager.
This will keep you learned on how does the manager carry out managerial functions in a working
environment. Now, let’s read and understand this carefully.

Functions of Managers

Managers just don't go out and haphazardly perform their responsibilities. Good managers
discover how to master five basic functions: planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling.

1. Planning: This step involves mapping out exactly how to achieve a particular goal. Say, for
example, that the organization's goal is to improve company sales. The manager first needs to
decide which steps are necessary to accomplish that goal. These steps may include increasing
advertising, inventory, and sales staff. These necessary steps are developed into a plan. When
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 the plan is in place, the manager can follow it to accomplish the goal of improving company
sales.
2. Organizing: After a plan is in place, a manager needs to organize her team and materials
according to her plan. Assigning work and granting authority are two important elements of
organizing.
3. Staffing: After a manager discerns his area's needs, he may decide to beef up his staffing by
recruiting, selecting, training, and developing employees. A manager in a large organization
often works with the company's human resources department to accomplish this goal.
4. Leading: A manager needs to do more than just plan, organize, and staff her team to achieve a
goal. She must also lead. Leading involves motivating, communicating, guiding, and
encouraging. It requires the manager to coach, assist, and problem solve with employees.
5. Controlling: After the other elements are in place, a manager's job is not finished. He needs to
continuously check results against goals and take any corrective actions necessary to make
sure that his area's plans remain on track.

All managers at all levels of every organization perform these functions, but the amount of time a
manager spends on each one depends on both the level of management and the specific organization.

Roles Performed by Managers

A manager wears many hats. Manager is not only a team leader, but he or she is also a planner,
organizer, cheerleader, coach, problem solver, and decision maker — all rolled into one. And these
are just a few of a manager's roles. In carrying out the responsibilities of planning, organizing,
staffing, leading, and controlling, managers take on many different roles. A role is a set of behavioral
expectations, or a set of activities that a person is expected to perform.

In addition, managers' schedules are usually jam‐packed. Whether they're busy with employee
meetings, unexpected problems, or strategy sessions, managers often find little spare time on their
calendars. (And that doesn't even include responding to e‐mail!)

In his classic book, The Nature of Managerial Work, Henry Mintzberg describes a set of ten roles
that a manager fills. These roles fall into three categories:

a. Interpersonal: This role involves human interaction. As a manager, your interpersonal role is
to ensure everyone understands their roles, their responsibilities, their tasks and their
objectives. It’s getting the tasks done through people. That doesn’t mean just barking out
orders but it’s communicating in a way that creates buy-in to getting work done.
b. Informational: This role involves the sharing and analyzing of information. It also involves
the receiving and sending of information—whether as a spokesperson, a mentor, a trainer, or
an administrator. For example, a top manager is a voice of the organization and has to be
aware that even personal opinions will reflect (for better or worse) on the business.
c. Decisional: This role involves decision making. For example, the manager should make
decisions about changing what is happening in an organization. They may have to initiate
change and take an active part in deciding exactly what is done – they are proactive.

Table 1 contains a more in‐depth look at each category of roles that help managers carry out all five
functions described in the preceding ―Functions of Managers‖ section.

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What are the Management Skills?

Management skills can be defined as certain attributes or abilities that an executive should
possess in order to fulfil specific tasks in an organization. They include the capacity to perform
executive duties in an organization while avoiding crisis situations and promptly solving problems
when they occur. Management skills can be developed through learning and practical experience as a
manager. The skills help the manager to relate with their fellow co-workers and know how to deal
well with their subordinates, which allows for the easy flow of activities in the organization.

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 Good management skills are vital for any organization to succeed and achieve its goals and
objectives. A manager who fosters good management skills is able to propel the company’s mission
and vision or business goals forward with fewer hurdles and objections from internal and external
sources.

Types of Management Skills

According to American social and organizational psychologist Robert Katz, the three basic
types of management skills include:

1. Technical Skills

Technical skills involve skills that give the managers the ability and the knowledge to use a
variety of techniques to achieve their objectives. These skills not only involve operating machines and
software, production tools, and pieces of equipment but also the skills needed to boost sales, design
different types of products and services, and market the services and the products.

2. Conceptual Skills

These involve the skills managers present in terms of the knowledge and ability for abstract
thinking and formulating ideas. The manager is able to see an entire concept, analyze and diagnose a
problem, and find creative solutions. This helps the manager to effectively predict hurdles their
department or the business as a whole may face.

3. Human or Interpersonal Skills

The human or the interpersonal skills are the skills that present the managers’ ability to
interact, work or relate effectively with people. These skills enable the managers to make use of
human potential in the company and motivate the employees for better results.

Let’s Apply!
Students, are you ready to be a manager in your own way? Are you ready to take
responsibilities? Are you inclined in managing people? Now, let’s apply what we have learned from
the article.

Modified True or False Direction: Write ―True‖ if the statement is correct and ―False‖ if the statement
is wrong and provide the word or phrase that makes the statement true.

1. A manager represents the company internally in all matters of formality.

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 Let’s Analyze!
Let’s examine how do management functions, skills and roles help the company become
more progressive and can be essentials to run an organization well and achieve desired business
objectives.

Direction: From the 10 Managerial Roles of Henry Mintzberg, create one activity per role. You could
connect your activities to the situation of our Government, Industries, School or even at home.

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 Let’s Evaluate!
Let’s get ourselves evaluated with managerial roles and functions of a manager. This activity
will let you assess the importance of each category of managerial roles in handling the problems that
you may encounter soon whether in the Government, Companies or at Home!

Direction: Choose which category of managerial roles does the statement below fall. Indicate whether
it is INTERPERSONAL ROLE, INFORMATIONAL ROLE or DECISIONAL ROLE. (10x3=30/30)

1. You may be needed to take part in, and direct, important negotiations within your team,
department, or organization.
2. As a manager, you have social, ceremonial and legal responsibilities. You're expected to be a
source of inspiration.
3. In this role, you regularly seek out information related to your organization and industry,
looking for relevant changes in the environment.
4. This is where you provide leadership for your team, your department or perhaps your entire
organization.
5. Managers must communicate with internal and external contacts. You need to be able to
network effectively on behalf of your organization.

Let’s Get Enriched!

Direction: Choose one type of management skills which you think very useful to our current situation
now. Using the star below, create your own explanation as to why it is very important skill in times of
crisis. Explain your answer in 5 sentences.

My dear students, see you on the next module! Stay safe and healthy!