Why Become a Manager?

Definition of what is a manager

-An individual who is in charge of a certain group of tasks, or a certain subset of a company. A
manager often has a staff of people who report to him or her.

Five Basic Tasks of a Manager

1) Sets objectives. The manager sets goals for the group, and decides what work needs to be done
to meet those goals.
2) Organizes. The manager divides the work into manageable activities, and selects people to
accomplish the tasks that need to be done.
3) Motivates and communicates. The manager creates a team out of his people, through decisions
on pay, placement, promotion, and through his communications with the team
4) Measures. The manager establishes appropriate targets and yardsticks, and analyzes, appraises
and interprets performance.
5) Develops people. With the rise of the knowledge worker, this task has taken on added
importance. In a knowledge economy, people are the companys most important asset, and it is up
to the manager to develop that asset.

Responsibilities of being a manager

o You need to surround yourself with good people and put your trust in them.
o

The responsibilities of management are not limited to the 8-hour day.

A good manager takes pride in the accomplishments of his team.

A fair and honest annual performance appraisal benefits both the employee and
the company.

A successful manager must have the ability to successfully juggle multiple

priorities.

Why does an employee want to become a manager?

o

Making More Money

-We may say that we want to become managers for the challenge, for the benefit of the
company, etc., but if were being honest, the pay scale is a key factor. Everyone knows that the
managers get the big bucks, right?

Telling People What to Do

-Another reason to move into management is to be in charge. As a manager, you can
occasionally get away with dictating command, but youll have a very unhappy staff if you do it very
often. Not that you cant convince an employee to do what you want. You just need to make it more
of a discussion. Lay out the issue. Ask for their suggested solutions. Add your own ideas. Then
make the decision. A good manager can get things done without telling people what to do.

Hiring and Firing

-One area where you do have decision-making authority is in selecting your staff. Over
time, you can build the team you want by hiring the right people, and facilitating the departure of
staff that havent been performing as well. Hiring good people is a lot easier than getting rid of
those that dont work out. Legal issues can make it difficult to fire someone, even when you have
good documentation of their performance issues. The best managers help their staff figure out for
themselves that things arent working out, and help them exit voluntarily. But if that doesnt work, a
manager has to be ready to make the tough decisions and deliver the bad news. Firing an awful
employee is hard. Whats even harder is telling someone that you like, on a personal level, that
they just arent cutting it as an employee and theyre being fired. If you dont think you could do this,
then dont get into management.

Buying Cool Tools

-As a manager, you have a lot more say in purchasing decisions. You get to decide things
like: when to upgrade to the new version of equipment or whether other reporting or presentation
tools should be explored. Of course a manager still needs to get input from the employees and
customers about what they need, and input from senior management on how much they can
spend, but a manager has a lot more say in the final decisions.

Ensuring Adequate Resources

-As a manager, youre involved up front in staffing and budget planning. If you do a good
job forecasting needs and negotiating your budget, you can resolve resourcing issues. Its very
rewarding to see the look of relief and gratitude on an employees face when they come to you
asking for more help and youre able to deliver.

Designing Training Programs

-If you have a new technique you want people to start using, you can set up a training
class or a demo to entice them into learning and incorporating the new technique. Even if you cant
teach the old dogs all of the new tricks, as a manager, you get to set up how your new junior
employees are trained. You can groom your staff to do things the way you like it.

Keeping Yourself Challenged

-Learning how to be an effective manager is not easy, and you will be anything but
bored in your first year or two on the job.
o

Working with People

-As a manager, your job is all about people. You have to interact with your direct
reports, peers, customers, and senior management. You will likely spend the majority of
your day in meetings. This includes 1-on-1 meetings as well as team meetings.
o

Someones Got to Do It
-This isnt a great reason to get into management, but it happens. If youre faced

with working with an unqualified manager, maybe youd be better off to take on the job
yourself.
o

Avoiding Real Work

-Even when you do get more involved in project work, its generally in a supportive role. If
you delegate effectively, as a manager you can avoid doing actual project work. This is good, as
youll need lots of free time for all of the other details that managers need to take care of.

Important Issues to consider when being offered a management position.

o

Determine how much of your time will be required for administrative tasks versus
the type of work you are now doing
-For example a manager of computer programmers, for example, may still spend up to 70
percent of his or her time programming, whereas an automotive shop supervisor may spend no
time working on cars. If you are in sales and you enjoy the dynamic of the sales interaction-and
paperwork is what you hate-think twice about accepting a management position.

Managing former peers

-Managing friends and former peers is not easy, and some folks will struggle with that
responsibility.

Key skills essential for being an effective manager

-Teaching and transferring work skills is an important element in developing staff.
Strategic thinking is often required of business leaders, as well as the ability to solve abstract
problems. Effective interpersonal skills are also significant, because managers must relate well to
both subordinates and senior managers-and managers need to toe the company line, which is a
difficult challenge for some people.

Ask in-depth questions about what will be expected in the new job.
-Will you be responsible for managing a budget? Developing and implementing work
plans? Forecasting? Innovating? The answers to these questions will help you determine whether
you truly desire a promotion.

Consider personal balance

-Hourly workers can usually depend on a regular workday, but managers cant afford to
watch the clock, and you may not always be able to walk out the door at five oclock. Maintaining a
balanced lifestyle is a valid reason to decline a promotion. An increase in salary and other perks
may be a factor, but be careful not to make finances your number one consideration.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RANK AND FILE

EMPLOYEE AND MANAGER
RANK AND FILE
MANAGER
EMPLOYEE
perform job functions that

responsible

for

support the

developing strategy and

organization's strategic

implementing large-scale

plans and processes

plans

Has lower basic pay but

Has his higher basic pay

are entitled with overtime

but are not entitled to

pay (except when under a

overtime pay.

SIGNIFICANT ROLES

WAGES

collective

bargaining

agreement)
Job ends in a specific

Also works on an 8-hour

time (e.g. a regular rank

duty but may be on call

and file employee work

whenever

for an 8-hour duty)

needs his/her presence.

WORKING HOURS

Has

BENEFITS

limited

benefit

the

company

Are entitled to allowances

compared to management

(e.g housing,

except the benefits are

transportation, clothing

under

etc.)

the

collective

bargaining agreement.

AFFILIATION

Mostly under the affiliation

Is not under the unions

of

affiliation thus concerns

the

companys

union

group who can handle the

rank and file concern.

is directly addressed to
management.

Conclusion

The bottom line, becoming a manager can be very rewarding, but the job isnt what
most people think it is. Make sure that youre making this move for the right reasons, and with
full knowledge of what the job entails.

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

Graduate School of Engineering

WHY BECOME A MANAGER?

Engineering Management and Governance

Submitted by:
Cruz, Robert James

Submitted to:
Prof. Edgardo Dajao