10 Characteristics of the Manager, their Responsibilities, Types, Functions And Qualities

We explain what a manager is, what their functions and responsibilities are. Types of managers, their qualities and characteristics.

What is a manager?

A manager is a key figure within an organization , company or institution , who is in charge of coordinating the entire company or a specific area or department.

The main goal of a manager is to organize the work team so that the objectives of the company are met . For this, it regulates the human and material resources available , evaluates the performance of the workers, makes strategic decisions, establishes contacts with all areas of the company and tries to reduce the monetary investment without affecting the quality of the product or service offered by the company.

Characteristics of a manager

The main characteristics that are looked for in a manager are:

• Adaptability . The degree of adaptability of the manager is closely related to the degree of success. A more successful manager in his position is characterized by having an open mind and flexible to changes.
  Managers often anticipate market threats and anticipate potential internal and external fluctuations. They are people who take advantage of the available resources in order to fulfill the goals of the company.
• Knowledge . Extensive knowledge is one of the fundamental characteristics that every good manager must have. This refers both to internal knowledge of the company and to knowledge of the national and global market.

  The manager must be attentive to the social, political and economic changes of the company and must pay all his attention to discover opportunities and prevent possible conflicts.

• Emotional Intelligence. A manager must have developed their emotional intelligence to recognize and deal with the issues that distress, worry or distract their employees and be able to focus them on the path to meeting goals.
  It is important that the manager can remain calm even in situations of panic, stress or disorder within the company, since his figure is an example to follow and must preserve the confidence of the employees.
• Negotiation skills . A manager must be able to handle negotiations with employees, partners, investors or clients and must be a link between all the parts that make up the company as a whole. For this reason, you must be a great businessman without losing your empathic approach and seeking equity and justice to prevail .

The manager must have the ability to motivate his employees

• Leadership . A manager with leadership stimulates and motivates his employees and seeks that all members of the organization feel accompanied and supported. The leader tries to get the members of the company involved and participate in the processes of the organization.
• Carisma . It is important that a manager is charismatic and does not convey himself as an unattainable or overbearing figure, but someone approachable, simple and empathetic who can establish good relationships with other members of the company and who encourages dialogue and cooperation.
• Communication skills . A good manager must have the ability to convey his ideas and decisions to the people with whom he deals. Good communication skills allow for efficiency , time savings, and misunderstandings. It is important that the manager can communicate well the objectives and the role or work that each member of the company must develop.
• Ability to delegate . A manager cannot perform all the tasks of the company. Therefore, one of the most important characteristics of a good leader is their ability to delegate to other people. For that, you must first know the strengths and weaknesses of your employees in order to make the right decisions.
  Delegating tasks contributes to teamwork , which is another of the capacities that a manager must have.
• Vision of the future . Those in management positions tend to seek new opportunities, are supporters of innovation and constantly challenge themselves in decision-making .
• Enthusiasm . It is important that the manager transmit to the team the desire to get involved in the project so that everyone works towards meeting the objectives. An enthusiastic manager is one who motivates and sets an example for employees.

Types of managers

Within an organization there may be different types of managers. On the one hand, there is the general manager, who is the person in charge of managing and administering the entire company or organization.

On the other hand, there is the manager who manages only one area or sector of the company. Can be:

• Operations manager . It is the one who manages and organizes the organization's resources and tasks.
• Production manager . It is one who organizes and manages the production process within a company.
• Logistics manager . It is the one who organizes and manages the transfer and distribution of production.
• Sales manager . It is the one who organizes and manages the commercial department of a company.
• Human resources manager . It is the one who selects, organizes and trains the staff of a company.
• Finance manager . It is one who organizes and supervises the flow of money within an organization.

Duties of a manager

The functions of a manager vary according to the type of position. The general manager has functions such as:

• Lead the entire company.
• Coordinate the work of the different areas within the company or organization.
• Establish the short and long term goals of the organization.
• Plan and supervise all the activities carried out within the company.
• Be the spokesperson for the organization.
• Coordinate alliances or businesses with other organizations or companies.
• Take decisions.
• Manage human and material resources.
• Motivate the rest of the employees.

On the other hand, if the person is in charge of coordinating only one area of the organization, he is known as manager of operations, production, logistics, human resources, among others. Some of the functions it has are:

• Lead a certain area of the company.
• Manage the links of the area in charge with other departments of the organization.
• Respond to the general manager.
• Make reports.
• Manage the human and material resources of the area.
• Delegate tasks and distribute work among team members.

Goals of a manager

Some of the main objectives pursued by the manager of an organization are:

• Keep the work team motivated.
• Meet the short and long term objectives assumed.
• Comply with commitments in a timely manner.
• Achieve the development of the company.
• Reduce costs.
• Increase productivity .

The above content published at Collaborative Research Group is for informational and educational purposes only and has been developed by referring reliable sources and recommendations from technology experts. We do not have any contact with official entities nor do we intend to replace the information that they emit.