CHARACTER FORMATION 2

Leadership, Decision Making, Management and Administration

CHAPTER 3
MANAGEMENT AND PROCESS

Objectives: After completing the lesson the learners are expected to;
1. Possess management qualities;
2. Be able to influence people for developmental mentality;
3. Lead men for a better community worth living for;
4. Be a macro and micro management.

A. WHAT IS MANAGEMENT?

Management by Objectives (MBO): By Adam Hayes, 2021

Management by objectives (MBO) is a strategic management model that aims to

improve the performance of an organization by clearly defining objectives that are
agreed to by both management and employees.
According to theory, having a say in goal setting and action plans encourages
participation and commitment among employees, as well as aligning objectives across
the organization.
Management by objectives (also known as management by planning) is the
establishment of a management information (MIS) to compare actual performance and
achievement to the defined objectives. Practitioners claim. That the major benefits of
MBO are that improves employee motivation and commitment and allows for better
communication between management and employees.

However, a cited weakness of MBO is that it unduly emphasizes the setting of

goals to attain objectives, rather than working on a systematic plan to do so.

MANAGEMENT BY OBJECTIVES IN PRACTICE

Management by objectives outlines five steps that organizations should use to

put the management technique into practice.

o The first step is to determine or revise organizational objectives for the entire
company. This broad overview should be derived from the firms mission and
vision.
o The second step is to translate the organizational objectives to employees.
Drucker used the acronym SMART (specific, measurable, acceptable, realistic,
time-bound) to express the concept.
o Step three is stimulating the participation of employees in setting individual
objectives. After the organization’s objectives are shared with employees, from
the top to bottom, employees should be encouraged to help set their own
 objectives to achieve these larger organizational objectives. This gives
employees greater motivation since they have greater empowerment.
o Step four involves monitoring the progress of employees. In step two, a key
component of the objectives was that they are measurable in order for
employees and managers to determine how they are met.
o The fifth step is to evaluate and reward employee progress. This step includes
honest feedback on what was achieved and not achieved for each employee.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Management by Objectives

Advantages
 Employees taking pride in their work with goals that they know they can
achieve;
 Aligns employees with their strengths, skills and educational experiences.
 Leads to increased communication between management and employees.
 Assigning tailored goals brings a sense of importance to employees,
bringing loyalty to the firm.
 Management can create goals that lead to the success of the company.

Disadvantages
 Focused on goals and targets, it often ignores other parts of a company,
such as the culture of conduct, a healthy work ethos, and areas for
involvement and contribution.
 Puts increased strain on employees to meet the goals in a specified time
frame.
 If management solely relies on MBO for all management responsibilities, it
can be problematic for areas that don’t fir under MBO.

What is the goal of management by objectives (MBO)?

MBO uses a set of quantifiable or objective standards against which to measure

the performance of a company and its employees. By comparing actual productivity to a
given set of standards, managers can identify problem areas and improve efficiency.
Both management and workers know and agree to these standards and their objectives.

Who invented MBO?:

MBO was invented by Peter F. Drucker, a management consultant, educator,

and author. Drucker’s 39 books have been translated into more than thirty-six
languages.

What are some drawbacks of using MBO?

As MBO is entirely focused on goals and targets, it often ignores other parts of a
company, such as the corporate culture, worker conduct, a healthy work ethos,
environmental issues, and areas for involvement and contribution to the community and
social good.

What is the difference between MBO and management by exception (MBE)?

In MBE, management only addresses instances where objectives or standards

are transgressed. Thus workers are left alone until and unless proficiency is not met.

B. QUALIFICATIONS OF AN EFFECTIVE MANAGER

What Are the Most Important Qualifications of Managers? (Lisa McQuerrey,

2018)

Managers are charged with overseeing staff, directing various aspect of daily
business operations, and in general, ensuring that an office or business runs smoothly.
Managers may oversee entire departments or single projects, depending on the size of
a company and the scope of responsibilities. As such, its critical that managers have
certain qualifications to help their efforts.

KNOWLEDGE OF INDUSTRY

One of the critical qualifications for a manager is that of knowledge of the

industry. Understanding the best practices in a business and having a good grasp of
overall operations is key to effective managing people and processes. That knowledge
may be gained from formal or vocational education, or from work experience.

Good Communication Skills: Managers must be able to communicate effectively with

employees, customers and supervisors. This means having good written and verbal
communication skills and an ability to read people, troubleshoot problems and help
teams collaborate as necessary. A manager should be able to effectively articulate
needs, convey information and provide status updates to higher-ups in a company.

ABILITY TO DIRECT PEOPLE

Managers often direct the activities of other staffers, and as such, must possess
the ability to bring people together around common goal. This may mean helping
employees set goals, establishing parameters for how work is performed and ensuring
that staffers have the resources necessary to do their jobs efficiently. Managers must be
able to match individual employee skill sets to necessary job tasks and help them pivot
as necessary to accomplish objectives.

Time Management Skills: Solid time management skills are a critical management
requirement. This means not only being able to effectively budget their own time, but
also that of employees. This relates to prioritization, delegation, juggling multiple
competing priorities and ensuring that the most critical tasks are always addressed.
Managers must also have the ability to pick up slack for their teams, when necessary.

Problem Solving Ability: Managers are regularly charged with solving problems,
ranging from the simple to the complex. This requires a clear head, a calm demeanor
and an ability to have pinpoint focus when necessary. Managers must have a strong
internal fortitude that enables them to help staffers assess and resolve issues, all while
maintaining the integrity of the organization.

General Managers are sometimes called operations managers because they are
responsible for the successful day-to-day functioning of an organization. Though they
may have a nice private office, they spend most of their time visiting different parts of
their facilities to encourage teamwork and efficiency. Formal education, strong
communication skills and prior experience are preferred qualifications.

Leadership Qualities: General Managers are often the highest-level employees in a

business, and their authority is sometimes exceeded only by chief executive officers.
Being at the top of the organization requires leadership skills. They must be able to
coordinate resources, including money, time and people. Problems must be quickly
resolved and decisions made in a timely manner. They juggle several tasks at once and
hurry to meet looming deadlines. Interpersonal skills are important because they
interact with employees, vendors and customers. Finally, general managers must
seamlessly organize and direct key business operations. Additionally , successful
general managers communicate goals, standards and policies clearly and persuasively.

Education and Training: Most general managers have a bachelor’s degree in

business administration, management or a field related to their work. Many also have a
Master’s of Business Administration, especially if they lead large organizations. Through
college coursework and on-job training, general managers gain expertise in all aspects
of business, including finance, logistics, marketing and human resources. Certification is
also available from the Institute of Certified Professional Managers. While not
compulsory, the Certified Manager credential can enhance a job applicant’s prospects.

Practical Work Experience: A core requirement for general managers is experience,

which gives them time to learn different facets of the business. Many start in staff and
technical positions before being given task of increasing responsibility. They may then
be promoted to project managers, in charge of small teams, before becoming
departments heads who lead larger groups responsible for specific business areas.
After proving their skills and dedication to the company, department managers may be
tapped for a general manager position.

HOW TO BE AN IMPACTFUL MANAGER

Examples of Weaknesses for a Manager Position: Good managers understand that

teamwork is critical to the successful implementation and realization of organizational
goals, and fulfillment of a corporation mission statement. Managing a team, well has
many positive effects such as boosting productivity in work groups. A manager has
much to offer teams, in the way of experience, direction, goal-setting, clear
communication and many other much-needed skills a team needs to be successful in
carrying out daily functions.

Goals and Guidelines: A manager can offer teams goals and guidelines so a team is
confident about what is expected of them, and so that each member of a team can take
responsibility for the role they have on a team. Managers can provide clear guidelines
about a project and define what each team member should be responsible for while
serving on the team. This eliminates any confusions as to a team member’s role and
responsibility while on a team.

Direction and Delegation: Managers also offer direction about where a team is going.
If a team is not headed in the right direction when trying to accomplish a certain task, or
when trying to meet certain goals, a manager can steer the team back in the right
direction. A manager can also delegate tasks to individuals on the team with appropriate
skills, tasks, and experience to carry out those tasks in the most efficient manner
possible. A manager has the ability to empower team members to carry out projects
with directions and oversight without micromanaging tasks and job duties. This is an
encouraging way to boost a team’s morale.

COMMUNICATION

It is important for managers to communicate with teams on a regular basis. Some

prefer daily communication while others have weekly team meetings. These meetings
provide opportunities for employees to voice their concerns, impressions, any
suggestions, or questions they have about their roles, responsibilities or duties.
Managers can also provide valuable feedback during these meetings or provide
suggestions for improvement. These are also opportunities for managers to share their
own experiences with team members, which can help teams learn from shared
experiences and build a sense of camaraderie without compromising the manager’s
authority.

Offer Rewards: Managers also have the ability to offer incentives and rewards for
meeting their goals and project guidelines. This can serve as motivation for team
members to work together in a positive and productive manner. Managers can work
with team members in a collaborative manner to decide what type of reward works best
to motivate each member of the team the most when deciding on a team incentive.

UNACCEPTABLE WORKPLACE BEHAVIORS

As the job tile suggest, an assistant manager helps to keep a store, department
or team running smoothly by performing some managerial tasks, such as scheduling
work times and evaluating employee performance. Depending on the industry, she
might also be responsible for handling escalated customer queries, since assistant
managers often work in a customer-facing role. One of the main task is top step into the
manager’s shoes in the manager’s absence. The role is often seen as a steppingstone
for those who wish to work their way up to management position.

Supervise the Team: In most organizations, it’s the assistant manager, rather than the
manager, who supervise and manages employees. Day-to-day, this might include
organizing the team schedule, authorizing vacations, handling staff queries and taking
disciplinary action. Assistant managers are also responsible for evaluating employee
performance and arranging staff training and development programs to plug any skill
gaps.

Help Unhappy Customers: In the retail and hospitality industries, an assistant

manager will be the first senior person to help an unhappy customer to their overall
satisfaction, such as organizing refunds and returns. The assistant manager will also be
the first escalation point for customer complaints. To successfully perform these duties,
an assistant managers needs to have strong interpersonal and communication skills
and th ability to stay calm and polite under pressure.

Stand in for Management: Assistant managers work side-by-side with a general

manager and must be capable of “acting up” in the general manager’s absence. This
means she must be familiar with the main aspects of the manager’s job and be ready to
perform those duties when needed without burdening upper management. As an
assistant manager, you are next in line for a promotion to general management.
Stepping up to the role, albeit temporarily is a good way to showcase your abilities.

Handle Employee Complaints: Most business have a process for employees to report
problems, whether those problems concern a scheduling conflict, pay discrepancy or an
issue with one of their co-workers. Often, the process starts by reporting the matter to
the assistant manager. To succeed in this role, you should be comfortable listening to
grievances and understand the proper channels for getting them resolved quickly and
professionally.

Successfully Complete Projects: Assistant managers will often lead teams on various
department-specific initiatives, acting as the project manager to ensure the successful
completion of the project. This role involves sub-tasks such as defining the scope of the
project, organizing human and other resources, developing schedules, managing
budgets and preparing reports. Team leadership is key to an assistant manager’s
duties. You often will be responsible for keeping open communication, so everyone
understand their objectives and goals.

10 REQUIREMENTS OF THE PERFECT MANAGER (Alan Norton, 2012)

If you could hire your next boss, what selection criteria would you use? Alan
Norton shares a make-believe want ad aimed at finding the ideal manager.

1. Be a “people person”
2. Be visionary
 3. Be a good communicator
4. Be technically proficient
5. Put your employees’ needs first
6. Encourage teamwork
7. Lead by example
8. Treat your staff like professionals
9. Encourage professional growth
10. Do something special

The bottom line

Looking for the perfect boss can be fun. Of course, I expect you to “add” to the
fun by including your job requirements.

A word of caution

At one company, my team and I had the privilege of interviewing the applicant
who wanted to be our next supervisor. I emphasized that I expected our supervisor to
be available to help in any way he or she could to meet our team’s objectives.
Somehow, that requirement was lost after the hire. I attribute this to the swelling of the
head and the pressure on the prefrontal cortex that often results from landing a
managerial position. I’ve solved that problem.

C. EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT STYLES

Management Techniques and Leadership Strategies You Can Use Right Now

Whether you’re taking your first foray into leadership or you simply want to
enhance your style and tap into a new process, here are 6 techniques that can boost
your ability to lead and improve the performance of your time.

1. Motivate, Don’t Dominate

It often happens that new leaders have trouble exerting power and influence
without being overbearing. An attitude of domination certainly won’t help
encourage your team or help you earn trust. Instead of focusing on being
controlling, focus on ways to motivate the team to do its best. You can do this by
incentivizing the work each individual does; recognizing a job well done and
making each person feel like she has the power to accomplish everything you
expect is far more effective than instilling fear or worry in your employees.

2. Learn How to Listen

You’re more than just an authoritative figure to your team, you’re also a
confidante. By listening to your employees, you can not only build up their trust,
but you can also identify legitimate problems they are having and help them find
solutions.
 3. Learn How to Hold People Accountable
You have certain expectations for your team, as any good leader should. And if a
team member doesn’t live up to your reasonable expectations, there should be a
set of consequences in place. You can always start with a simple verbal warning,
and then move onto a written warning and so on depending on the regulations
your company has in place.

4. Be Human
Too many new leaders think they must be robotic and free of personality in order
to get respect. But your team will respect you more if you act like you. Always be
professional, but don’t be afraid to let your real self show. It’ll make you more
relatable and trustworthy.

5. Look at Failure and Mistakes as Learning Opportunities

No one looks forward to making a mistake or failing to meet an objective, but
everyone can learn from, mistakes. Second chances can encourage better work
the next time around. Further, when your team sees you applying lessons
learned from errors, they will feel more comfortable and confident working under
you and learning from you.

6. Show Your Employees That They Matter

There is nothing worse for motivation than working with a dismissive leader that
makes people feel unimportant. Every employee brings a necessary talent, skill
or contribution to the table—never forget that.

THE 10 GOLDEN RULES OF EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT

1. Be consistent. This is the first rule because it applies to most of the others.
Before your management approach can be effective, it must be consistent. You
must reward the same behaviors every time they appear, discourage the same
behaviors when they appear and treat every member of your team with equal,
level-headed view.
2. Focus on clarity, accuracy and thoroughness in communication. How you
communicate to your team can dictate your eventual success. When relaying
instructions, recapping meetings or just doing out company updates, strive for the
clarity, accuracy and thoroughness of your communication. This goes for any
other medium, whether that means in-person communication, email or a phone
call. Clarity, accuracy are the best way to avoid miscommunication and keep
your team on the same page.
3. Set the goal of working as a team. If you want your team members to work
together, have them work for something together. Setting goals just for the
department or one individual breeds a limited mentality and forces team
members to remain isolated. Instead, give staffers a unified focus and purpose,
to inspire them together.
4. Public reward and recognize hard work. When a member of your team does
something exceptional, reward him/her---with a bonus, a small trophy or even
 just a vocal recognition. Do this in front of the group; it will make the intended
recipient feel good and show the rest of the team that hard work is rewarded. The
only caveat goes back to rule one: Be consistent in your rewards so you won’t be
seen as playing favorites.
5. Be the example. As the manager and leader, you should set an example in
terms of your behavior. If you show up late, your team will be less punctual. If
you loose your temper easily, others will be amiss in keeping their emotions in
check. Strive to be your own ideal of the perfect worker, especially in front of the
team.
6. Never go with ‘one-size-fits-all. Your team is comprised of individuals with
unique preferences, strengths, weaknesses and ideas. Never use the exact
same approach to motivate, encourage or mold all of them. Focus on individuals
and customize your approach to fit each one.
7. Remain as transparent as possible. Transparency shows your integrity as a
leader, and builds trust with the individual members of your team. If you lie about
something, or withhold information, you could jeopardize your relationships and
the respect you command as a leader.
8. Encourage all opinions and ideas. The more people you have actively
participating in discussion and attempting to make improvements to the
organization, the better. Never chastise a team member for voicing an opinion
respectfully—even if it goes against your original vision or isn’t well thought out.
Cutting someone down for voicing an opinion builds resentment, and
discourages people from sharing their own new thoughts.
9. Help people enjoy work. You don’t need a pool table or dress code abolition to
make work fun. You can make the workday more enjoyable with such new
elements as surprise lunch outings, a dedicated break room or even just casual
conversations with your workers. Help your people enjoy coming to work, and
they’ll do their best work for you.
10. Listen and ask questions. If someone doesn’t agree with your management
style or doesn’t like the direction of the company, don’t silence that person.
Listen. And ask question of your entire team: What do you think of this? How do
you feel about that? This open dialogue makes it easier to proactively identify
problems and work together to create a mutually beneficial environment. It will
also make your employees feel appreciated and acknowledge.

D. IMPACT OF MANAGEMENT STYLES

How Different Management Styles affect Employee Motivation and Productivity

(PAUL TOWERS, 2017)

Whether you manage a large team, an entire business or perhaps just one or two
other people, it is your job to make sure that the work is done. No wonder why the
use popular dispatch software is being put into place of various businesses. Every
business owner wants to get the best results from their business and with the help of
technology, this can help them reach their goals.
 One of the main influencing factors in this has to be the motivation of your
employees.

Employees that are lacking in motivation are less likely to be focused on their
work. They will also be less likely to take on any challenging parts of the role or to go
above and beyond what you expect from them.

What you may not realize is that your management style could be having a huge
impact on employee motivation, and employee productivity.

Here are some of the ways that your own particular approach to management
could be having a detrimental effect on the motivation of your employees.

Autocratic Management Style: How different Management Styles affect Employee

Motivation & Productivity—Autocratic

This particular style of management is when there is usually one person who has
the say on any decisions that are made. There is no argument when it comes to the
decision they have made, and they will not accept suggestions.

Adopting an autocratic management style can affect employee productivity and

motivation as it tends to:

o Create a sense of mistrust between Managers and employees;

o Not be the ideal place to foster creative ideas from employees, nor encourage
them to take ownership over their role;
o Make staff feels as if they are easy to replace, and not key to the company,
given they are only performing a job that has been laid out step, by step for
them.
o Each of these management traits can impact employee motivation, and if you
find yourself adopting an autocratic management style, you should ask
yourself how you can empower staff to make their own decisions and take a
more proactive role in the day-to-day, management of their job function.

Democratic Management Style How Different Management Styles affect Employee

Motivation & Productivity—Democratic.

If autocratic is a “do as I say” approach, then democratic is definitely more

geared towards everyone working in collaboration.

These type of managers will be more than happy to listen to thoughts and
concerns raised by their staff, even when it comes to making a big company-wide
decision.

As a result a more democratic management management style typically has a

more positive impact on employee productivity and motivation by:
Giving employees a sense of ownership of their day-to-day role. Allowing the
employees to feel as if they have real input into the daily operations of the business,
and to see that their voice is actually heard by management.
Create an environment move open to new ideas and innovation, or at the very least
provide a platform in which they can be discussed. While a democratic management
style is often considered the best approach, there are times and people who don’t
necessarily respond well to this type of leadership. In highly regulated industries or
positions that involve a great deal of risk (i.e. working in the armed forces) it is often
worth trading employee flexibility/independent for safety and security of the team as a
whole.

A laissez-faire management style is a much more casual approach to leadership.

These managers believe that an employee-led approach is the way to go, and provide
minimal oversight into the day-to-day role of their employees.

Often they will encourage their staff to make their own decisions and set their
own task list. This works particular well where you have a self-motivating workforce who
have “bought into” the project as a whole and aren’t necessarily working in the role
solely for financial benefit.

The key benefits of the Laissez-faire management style when it comes to

employee productivity and motivation is that it can:
o Lead to new and innovating ideas being rapidly adopted within a company;
o Employees are self-motivated and work at a higher pace/intensity given their
personal interest in the tasks assigned to them;
o A flexible management structure allows employees to better balance work and
family commitments which may increase employee retention rates. The United
States of America has reported that 90% is the average employee retention rate
and this could be because of the flexible structure that has been provided for the
employees;
o While the laissez-faire approach can be a very productive environment in some
industries it doesn’t suit all employee types. Often there are people who want
direction or to simply be told what to do.

How These 6 Leadership Styles Affect Performance (Jade Anderson, 2018)

Leadership Styles

The leadership of a company can greatly impact on a range of aspects within the
business. Poor leadership will see poor performance and potentially even a hit to profits.

It’s often said that people, leave managers, not companies, which would suggest
it’s clear that leadership and management styles can have a significant impact on the
culture and the performance of a company.
 Staff look to managers and leaders to motivate and encourage them. Good
managers will empower their employees.

Effective leaders cycle through different styles throughout the week to best
engage with certain staff, navigate a particular situation and get the desired results.
It can be difficult to understand the different styles of leadership and when to use
them, but the better a leader knows which styles they can and should use, the more
effective their team will be.

Here’s six leadership styles and how they affect performance:

1. Coercive. Most of the time, a coercive leadership style is not the best approach.
A coercive leader demands authority and complicity. They have a strong drive to
succeed but are often negative, critical and rarely give out praise.
2. Pace Setter. The pacesetter generally sets high standards by leading by
example. They’re hard workers, highly motivated, and constantly use initiative to
try and move the company forward at a faster and better rate. Often, they will
pressure their team to do the same. While at first glance, this might sound like a
good, strong leader, it can negatively impact performance.
3. Visionary. Visionary leaders lead with their confidence, enthusiasm, and good
communication skills to create, communicate, and work towards a vision.
Visionary leaders work great for a team who need a goal to work towards but
want the freedom to innovate and experiment.

Visionary leaders are also empathetic and empowering, giving those in

their team the confidence to take calculated risks and work towards a shared
goal. This helps employees see how they fit into the team and what their
contributions mean in the bigger picture.

What is Workplace Abuse?

Great visionary leaders also resolve conflict, which will happen when giving
people freedom to innovate.

And while they promote innovation, visionary leaders still set boundaries and
parameters, keeping people accountable for their actions. This makes visionary
leadership one of the most effective and positive styles for most circumstances.

4. Democratic. Democratic leaders look to build strong teams through consensus

and collective knowledge. Teams under a democratic leader often have high levels of
commitment due to being involved in the decision making progress. This inclusiveness
keeps the morale high.
This leadership style is best used when a strong direction is needed to be in
place. It allows the company to move towards goals that the whole team can get behind.
However, if a consensus can’t be reached, it can slow down workflows and cause
frustration. Therefore, the democratic leadership style is best used in certain situations.
For example, when the leader isn’t experienced, or uncertain of what the next step
should be.

5. Coach. The coach leadership style aims to provide one-on-one, personalized

feedback to help employees improve and reach their personal goals.
The coach, so to speak, encourages their team members to try things,
experiment, and to not be afraid of failure. Coaching works best when people want to
improve their weaknesses and focus on career development. A good coach leader will
be empathetic and provide constructive feedback, giving employees the confidence to
improve on their skills.
This style can backfire when people don’t want to be coached, or the leader is
inexperience. This can simply feel like micromanaging, which will have negative effects.

6. Affiliate. Affiliate leaders aim to please people. This involves frequent praise and
feedback and can result in a confident, strong team.
This is a great for organizations that are in need of a morale boost, team building,
or to improve communication and trust. In an environment where trust is strong and
communication is open, ideas are shared easily and innovation is free to occur.
The down side of an affiliate leadership style, especially if it’s the only style used,
is that poor performance can go uncorrected.
This can spell disaster for the team as they can be misguided. In another
circumstances, it could frustrate a team when someone who isn’t pulling their weight
seemingly goes unnoticed.