10 Roles That Managers Perform in Organizations

Successful organizations are led by experienced and knowledgeable managers. These leaders develop, implement and maintain the organization’s goals and objectives. They lead their employees and motivate them to meet these goals. Though many managers may make the effort look easy, their responsibilities are mounting and endless.

Business development is an essential responsibility in every organization. In most situations, higher level managers – including executives, CEOs and CFOs – are responsible for mapping out the strategies activities of the business. These managers might determine the product lines the company will offer, plan for differentiation from competitors and set the overall vision of the company.

Managers of all levels are responsible for enforcing those decisions and paths that have been established. For example, a marketing manager will work with the marketing team to plan how to price and advertise products to align with the company's mission. A financial manager would help make decisions regarding borrowing funds to carry out planned business expansion.

Recruiting and managing staff are another one of the key roles of a manager. Using hands on knowledge of the skills and experience that is required to fill their positions, the manager screens and staffs his team for excellence. Effective managers will recruit individuals who share the company's vision and have the determination to lead it in the right direction.

In addition to the hiring responsibilities, managers often train their staff to ensure that the required skills are developed in the intended manner. Knowledgeable managers are, often, more capable of addressing training questions and material and can provide hands on answers and examples for clarification. This development not only occurs when employees first join the company, and effective managers will offer on-going training that help employees do their jobs more effectively and efficiently.

Managers are expected to develop, implement and lead projects as necessary. Managers must have the foresight and experience to bring forward the best in the people, redirect their staff’s energy where necessary and motivate them towards the goal’s completion. This requires the ability to prioritize important activities, seek viable alternatives and encourage employees to take control of their project work assignments.

A manager must have strong communication skills. The manager should be able to clearly communicate even the most complicated information to people of all levels. The manager should effectively communicate in spoken and written form.

Many times, managers must become counselors or disturbance handlers. Managers are the ones that staff members seek out when difficulties arise and need resolution. Whether business or personal, managers must know how to empathize, resolve and direct their staff to keep them focused on meeting company goals.

Influencing staff and customers is one of the key duties of a manager in an organization. They must be able to sway their customer’s decisions that their organization meets their requirements and provide authority over their staff. Managers should be strong-minded leaders that lead by example.

Leaders must be able to analyze situations, criteria and work habits to ensure the organization’s quality standards are being met. In this, the manager must evaluate the information before them and make a strong determination if the information meets company standards.

The ability to schedule and meet deadlines is a driving force in a successful manager. The manager must be able to create schedules for their staff, their suppliers and their inventory while ensuring that the slots overlap effectively and efficiently.

The most successful managers are innovators. They find new, more efficient ways for their departments and teams to complete their tasks. They save their companies money on overhead and supplies, keeping their organization’s firmly in the black.