Management of the activities of some people by others has existed since ancient times, but as an organized and structured process began to be studied only since the first half of the twentieth century. Since then, the science of management (this term is synonymous to the concept of “management”) has been constantly evolving and reflects the flexibility of the business environment and the requirements of the objective reality in which the business community exists.
At the present stage of domestic business development the problem of management education is acute and still needs to be solved. The fact is that until recently there has been neither sufficient attention nor time devoted to the education of this very category of specialists. Managerial skills were regarded as a gift or talent, everything was done by instinct, based on common sense and collegial decisions. We learned from our own mistakes and the mistakes of others. In a word, business was done, as they say, “on their knees.
Naturally, in today’s world such an approach is an unacceptable levity. Now it is obvious to all that management is a separate profession, which requires the most serious approach, special theoretical and practical knowledge, abilities and skills acquired during special education and professional training. Fortunately, such training is now available, and the Moscow Business School programs are eloquent proof of that.
What is management as a process?
Most commonly, the term “management” is understood as influencing a process purposefully to achieve a positive result. In management, accordingly, the process should be aimed at achieving the organization’s goals and minimizing failures and risks. This is facilitated by proper forecasting, planning, coordination of activities and control. In our opinion, the essence of management was most succinctly and correctly formulated by Harold D. Kuntz, professor of business management at the University of California Los Angeles and consultant to many of America’s largest business organizations: “Management is the art of getting things done from beginning to end.
It is clear that without a competent goal-setting and well-functioning management mechanism it is impossible to achieve high efficiency of production activities. And this mechanism should include not only the direct management of the labor collective, but also cover other areas. The integrity of the entire management mechanism will allow to achieve the maximum effect efficiently and at minimum cost, and this is the main function of the management process.
Management of an organization is carried out by the following methods, which should be skillfully combined and supplemented for the highest efficiency of the management process:
Administrative – based on the impact of management on employees from the position of available power.
Organizational – the ability to competently organize work time and production process.
Legal – management through legal acts.
Economic – based on the mutual benefit of the employer and employee.
Social-psychological – based on the management of the collective as a social environment.
From all of the above it becomes clear that management is a separate profession, which includes a large number of competencies that need to be mastered. Not only knowledge from the main professional sphere, but also various other sciences, such as economics, law, psychology, pedagogy, etc., will be in demand.
Now let us remind you what skills a good manager should have.
- The ability to set goals well. The ability to correctly define strategic and tactical goals, clearly formulate work directions and communicate them to executives. You must also be able to set priorities and allocate the necessary resources, including time. The ability to structure and organize. Ability to build a working management vertical.
- Ability to make decisions. Ability to make own volitional decision on the basis of collegial opinion.
- Ability to adequately assess oneself and others. Ability to demand and encourage.
- Ability to change. Ability to change established stereotypes efficiently and adequately, taking into consideration the changes of the environment. The presence of developed emotional intelligence is welcomed. According to modern researchers, the development of this very flexible skill becomes the most important competence of a modern successful manager.
- Ability to develop methods of internal standardization for documenting the work of the company by means of regulations, instructions, orders.
- Developed verbal and nonverbal communication: ability to use verbal and nonverbal means of communication to convey the necessary information and business communication. Ability to conduct business negotiations.
- The skill of controlling the process at all its stages. The ability to establish effective feedback with executors.
- Organizational skills, including not only the ability to organize people for creative activities, but also the ability to adjust the behavior of employees. The ability to correctly set up a system of motivation.
- Ability to resolve conflict situations.
- The ability to control own stress – an effective prevention of emotional burnout.
- The skill to delegate.
- The skill to organize own working time.
In the modern business world old management schemes stop working and old business models are irrevocably becoming a thing of the past. Digitalization – the merging of the digital and real worlds – is already pushing many professions to the brink of extinction. Managers with years of experience are being replaced by young, energetic and emotionally intelligent people who are ready to innovate, who can handle the volatility of the world around them, and who can make the right decisions quickly.
It is probably possible to learn all of this yourself. But in our opinion, it is better to trust professionals.