A Tip From The Manager’s Answer Book: Beyond People Management

I was once asked during a radio interview: When I think of being a manager, I think of managing people. Can you comment on other things a manager deals with, managers, and/or has to understand?

Wow. This takes on a whole different dimension in 2020. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, systemic change was thrust upon us without notice, and without the benefit of planning. The future of the workplace became the present overnight. Managers are finding they have more of a role in managing technology with the proliferation of virtual meetings and use of collaboration tools. They have to create, manage, and implement new processes. They also have to manage change – the challenges both they and their staff are struggling with as they work from home. 

Manager’s Tip: Depending on your organization, you may be called on to manage a special project or program from time to time. This may involve bringing together a team of people from different departments – people for whom you have no direct authority over – to work on a new initiative. This is where your influencing skills are helpful. You are also responsible for managing resources in your organization. You may have to manage materials if you are manufacturing a product. Most managers have a budget and have to manage financial resources. If your organization has proprietary assets – information or products – that must be protected you and your staff must follow procedures to keep the intellectual property safe. And you may find yourself managing customers and outside business partners. The key to managing service providers is to set clear expectations and hold them accountable – just as you would your internal partners and employees. Likely there are contracts in place with these providers, so become acquainted with the terms and conditions of those contracts. 

You can read more about managing budgets, projects, and resources in Section 1 of The Manager’s Answer Book starting on page 15. The Manager’s Answer Book is a proud 2020 Winner of the Next Generation Indie Book Award. It’s available from Amazon -- https://tinyurl.com/y8umaqpz - Barnes & Noble or your local independent bookstore.