4 Your job
Did you find your management job hard to describe? This section should provide you with some of the reasons why this might be. Many managers find it is something of a relief to discover that they are not alone in struggling to make sense of what we call management. As you read this section consider the following questions:
- Do you feel that you are responding to demands instead of being in control?
- Do you follow any of Drucker’s eight practices of effective managers?
- How much do you think your effectiveness depends on you, your role, the people you work with and your organisation?
- How important is each of these four elements in the effectiveness equation?
When you read with questions in mind about you and your own organisation, it helps you to process the meaning of what you are reading. Reading becomes active rather than passive, and helps you to remember what you have read.
This section explores in a different way what managers do. It considers managerial tasks and roles. As you read, consider the main day-to-day tasks in which you are engaged. Then take note of how Mintzberg categorises managerial activities into roles. Which roles are dominant in your job, or do you perform them equally? Are there any roles that you don’t perform? Make notes as you read, as these will help you with Activity 2.