As businesses, lifestyles, and technologies evolve, so does the role of the Manager. Leaders spend a great deal of time in supervising others, which is not productive nor efficient in this day in age. Management theorist, Henri Fayol outlined five basic responsibilities of a Manager that has stuck for almost 100 years: planning, directing, staffing, organising, and controlling. These tasks may work in a stable environment, but today we are faced with the challenge of rapid change so Managers must adapt to meet the demands of today. Here are just some ways the role needs to change…
- Instructing rather than directing. Artificial intelligence (AI) has already started taking over many roles from digital marketers to cashiers. It goes without saying that Managers will need to learn how to deal with robots over humans especially when it comes to those manual and repetitive jobs. Rather than directing staff, they should begin to instruct others how to think differently to prevent AI from taking over their industry completely. Develop new practices and keep on learning.
- Expanding rather than restricting. Majority of Managers today still micromanage and are hesitant to allow their staff to make decisions, which in turn restricts them from growing and developing their skills. Their development to think and make decisions is vital for the future so Managers should expand their employee’s learnings, give them more responsibility, and include their opinions. At the end of the day, more brains are better than one.
- Innovating rather than repeating. Growth takes place outside of the comfort zone so no matter how great business is doing, innovation should never seize. Most organisations fear change when things are going well, but it’s even harder to make those positive changes when things are going downhill. Don’t ever stop innovating!
- Challenging to problem solving. Solving problems is necessary, but what should Managers do when there is nothing to solve? They should challenge both themselves and their staff to find ways to improve. This will prevent problems from arising in the future, making the Managerial role more efficient with room to focus on other important aspects of their role.
- Entrepreneur rather than employer. If you think like an employer, your goal is to please your supervisor by doing what he/she wants. If you think like an entrepreneur, you allow yourself to step outside of the box and focus more on pleasing the business (and yourself). The entrepreneurial mind is more creative, innovative, and of course…independant.
Change can be challenging and even scary, but it allows us to grow – it brings both excitement and stimulation. So with that being said, embrace where the future is going & make it work for you, your team, and your organisation.