The Effective Managers Characteristics - Essay Example

? The Effective Manager Cw3 This paper is talks about the characteristic of an effective manger and what are the essential factors that a manger should consider. It has been felt that time management is one of the most essential characterises that a manager need to maintain and this is because time is important and as rightly said time and tide waits for none so it should be managed effectively to gain a competency over the competitors both in an organisation and in classroom. Contents Abstract 2 Introduction 4 Effective management 4 Characteristics of Effective Management 5 Literature definitions 5 Critical evaluation 6 Own experience 7 Assessment of strengths and weaknesses 8 Conclusion 8 Reference 9 Bibliography 9 Appendix 10 Action Plan 10 Introduction In the last few decades, number of evidence has produced the need of skilful management, mangers that are competent in the organizations and has proved that they are the key determinate for the success of the organization (Whetten, 2005, p.5). The mangers are responsible for the optimum utilization of resources in order to achieve the goals of the organization. Management is a set of activities which is directed towards the resources of the organization with a aim of achieving the required goal in an effective and efficient manner. In general a successful organization comprises of both effective as well as efficient mangers. In the competitive world managers tends to face new as well as interesting and challenging situations. The average working time is about 60 hours per week and has a huge demand place upon the mangers time and at the same time faces complexities due to globalization, completion, government regulations and other uncertainties. The job role of a manger is unpredictable and filled with challenges but it is also filled with opportunity which has the potential to make difference. Good managers have the potential to bring in success in the organization (Griffin, 2011, p.4). Effective management Developing an effective managerial skill is essential to deal with the specific problems and challenges and is one of the urgent needs for organizations and businesses in the global scenario where technology and the environment are changing at a rapid phase. Thus proper management is vital to deal with the complex environment. The quality and effective management styles of the mangers can determine the organizational culture, productivity of the staff and success or failure of the organization (Francis, 2012). Characteristics of Effective Management An effective manger is one who makes the right decisions and successfully implements the decisions. However there are many different characteristic that a manger should posses for the effective working of the organization. But according to me the most important characteristic for a manger should be a good team player and time management should be the next important characteristic for an effective manger. A team builder can be defined as a person who is strong and provides the required substance which holds the team together towards achieving the set goals and objectives (Francis, 2012). At the same time effective time management skills are important for mangers to perform the task. I would like to emphasis more on the aspect of time management. Literature definitions With respect to the definition of time management, there are many different definitions as per different authors. However most of the authors referred to Lakein (1973) who said that time management involve a process which determines the need sets the goals which are to be achieved, planning and prioritising the task which are required in the process of achieving the goals. Therefore according to Elacqua and Jex, 1999; Davis, 2000; Macan, 1994, 1996; Macan et al., 1990; Mudrack, 1997) time management has been referred to as a technique used to manage time; a technique which can be used for effective use the many different task which are required Orpen, (1994) Slaven and Totterdell, (1993); Woolfolk & Woolfolk, (1986); according to Kemp and Burt (1994); Robertson and Francis-Smythe (1999) time management is defined as planning and allocating of time; Time management is also been defined as the degree at which an individual tends to perceive the usage of time in a structured as well as purposive way as per Feather and Bond, (1988); Burt and Strongman, (2000); Sabelis, 2001; Vodanovich and Seib, (1997); According to Koolhaas et al, (1992) time management is a way of getting insight into the utilisation of time. Time management has also been defined as a technique which helps to increase the time available to examine other necessary activities was stated by King et al, (1986). Britton and Teaser (1991) have identifies time management as a practise which is intended to maximise the intellectual productivity. Griffiths (2003) has defined time management as an application of the process with respect to self regulation in the temporal domain. Eilam and Aharon (2003) have also defined time management as strategies that help in discussing plans and its efficiency. Hall and Hursch (1982) procedure that is designed to help individuals to achieve the set desired goals. Beside the definition and term of time management other terms such as time structure which were used by Bond and Feather (1988) were often used interchangeably but keeping the meaning the same (Claessens, et al., 2007, p. 262). Critical evaluation The management literature is full with attributes, orientation, behaviours and the strategies in order to enhance successful performance. According to Pfeffer (1998) there are seven key practices which are associated with organizational and managerial effectiveness such as hire good talent, employment security to the employees, foster the concept of decentralization as well as team management, train extensively, reduce the difference of status and share information (Whetten, 2005, p. 8). Studies conducted on time management have revealed that the definitions of time management are yet not well defined. Therefore it can be said that there is still work left to be done on the essential subject of time management. The time management should be studied at a more detailed way to come up with proper definitions (Claessens, et al., 2007, p. 271). Time management is important for the day to day management and effective time management are important in order to perform the role of the management so that the task is carried out successfully. Also the decision making process can be jeopardised if the time management is not effective. Thus it can be said that time management is really important tin the effective working of the management. But time has often be stated as insufficient and some of the common words used such as “I do not have time” or “I need some more time” depicts that management do not tends to utilise the time effectively. Managers often feel the need to extend the working day in order to complete a task. Bad management of time might lead to stress, pressure and the feeling that too little time is left to complete the work. It has often seen that we tend to believe in imperfect perception of time, due to its subjective nature. When there is few task or activities to be performed we believe we have ample amount of time but when there is tight schedule, time seems to be elastic. Thus it can be said that there arise a need to manage the time in order to achieve better result (Luis, 2010, p.2). Own experience Time management is essential and I have experienced it because in the due course of activities in the class room, team are formed and it usually becomes essential to maintain time in order to successfully complete an assignment or a given task. I have found out that delaying the work usually lead to stress and pressure at the end moment. The team needs to coordinate and sit together to complete the task. According to me, when an case study or activities are assigned to me, taking into consideration the deadline time should be allocated accordingly and assigned the parts to each of the group members. This way the task would be completed in a timely manner and without any hassle or stress. As a student’s I tend to keep the work aside till the deadline arises which causes ineffective work. However with time management it can be solved within the allocated time and effectively. Assessment of strengths and weaknesses Time management can be said is one of the most important characteristic for a manger and in day to day management time needs to be maintained in order to compete in the competitive world. It is equally essential for managers and also for students. From time management I have learnt the importance of it and how effective it is in today’s organisation and also in one’s life. Strength will revolve around the fact that I value time and try to do things within the stipulated time But at the same time, I fall short of utilising the time in an effective manner when no task is given, this is one of the weakness that I have encountered. Another weakness encountered is that I do not jot down the work that are to be performed in a day this would save the time and make it more productive. But at the same time I have a goal to be reached so this can be said as strength as I know what to achieve and I am able to distinguish between essential activities and which are less important or essential. Conclusion Therefore it can be concluded that the today’s management can be characteristic by transformation, chaotic and rapid fire change. Change is ubiquitous and rapid. Thus in such changing environment, time is important an effective utilisation of time will eventually lead to effective management and leadership skills. All the pending issues needs to be cleared before starting a fresh project else this might lead to chaotic situations. In conclusion, I would say that time management along with team management is one of the most important aspects for an effective manager and it needs to be maintained for an effective result and competitive result. Reference Claessens, B. J. C., et al., 2007. A review of the time management literature. [Pdf]. Available at: < http://arno.unimaas.nl/show.cgi?fid=14678> [Accessed 2 June 2012]. Francis, M., 2011. Effective Management. [Online]. Available at: [Accessed 1 June 2012]. Griffin, R. W., 2011. Fundamentals of Management. USA: Cengage Learning. Luis, R. V., 2010. Management skills and leadership techniques. Spain: Ideaspropias Editorial S.L Whetten, D. A., 2005. Developing Management Skills. Pearson Education India. Bibliography Flamholtz, E., 1996. Effective Management Control: Theory and Practice. Springer. Mancini, M., 2003. Time Management. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Smith, J. C., 2005. Stress Management Today. Lulu.com. Appendix Action Plan Development Area Action(s) Support Resources Timescales to Achieve Updates Maintaining time Establish Goals Delegation of duties and responsibilities Planning the task Scheduling of work based on time frames Keep a track of all the activities, noting it down, maintain a track sheet and record book or diary to note the different activities conducted and time taken 15 to 20 days Prioritising on Tasks or Scheduling the tasks to be conducted based on priority Noting down of tasks Evaluating the importance of each task in regards to organizational objective Recording of tasks in an ascending fashion based on their relative importance in meeting organisational goals Generating schedules to effectively accomplish the different tasks Track sheet or Performance Sheet to note the tasks Preparing a scheduler or routine to outline the schedule of the tasks to be achieved 2 Months Read More