What is Management?

It’s back to the basics when trying to answer this question. In simple terms, a manager doesn’t “do,” a manager “manages.” But what does the word “manage” mean. How did this term come to be applied to the people who make decisions, move people to the right positions within an organization and arrange for projects to start and end?

The word itself is not as old as some that have been adapted to the English language. The word “manage” comes from the Latin maneggiare, a word from the 16th century that meant “to handle or train horses.” In addition, “manus” meant that something was done by hand. In the 20th century and beyond, to manage means to succeed in accomplishing something, take charge of, to dominate or influence or to handle and direct an action.

Many people in the field of human resources/personnel consider management both science and art. There are specific actions a manager can take that will almost always lead to successful completion of a task. But the manager must also apply some art or craft to the job, saying and doing the job in ways that can’t be outlined and written in a job description.

The best managers have a plan, from the beginning! They see the project or company objectives as if from a distance, recognizing where certain actions will take the company and avoiding those that won’t help reach the goal. This plan is often written, in detail. Managers then must organize the personnel and other resources according to the plan. This includes assigning particular tasks to individuals or groups, acquiring the tools and raw materials needed and distributing them, again according to a detailed plan.

Once this planning and organization is about 95 percent complete it’s time for the manager to engage in day-to-day management. This means directing and controlling the work of the staff members, approving use of time and materials and deciding if the results are satisfactory on a daily basis.

In addition to these three crucial steps, in which the manager is very involved, management includes essential oversight. A manager must always stand just a bit apart from the staff and the hands-on work that takes place. This may be the most difficult part of the job and is probably where “art” comes in. A person in a management position has to be close enough to the process to make detailed decisions, often several times each day.

But in doing this, the manager has to be able to see the project or company objective from a distance, just as he or she did when the planning process started. During this part of the management task the individual “in charge” must constantly seek input from those performing the work. This is essential if a manager is to understand what is happening within the organization. However, seeking input is never quite enough. Good management also involves using this input to make the task move forward and recognizing the individual workers who provided the input.

While these are just the high spots and a brief summary of management, they do provide a foundation for sound management.