Managerial Roles Defined: 10 Managerial Roles in Business

In an organization, a managerial role involves responsibility and supervision. They contribute to their companies in many ways that hinge upon their job titles and the organization’s needs. Managers, from department managers to project managers, play different roles in the scope of their work. All of these roles serve to advance organizational objectives.

When you accept a managerial role, your duties may include:

1. 1. Communication: Managers play interpersonal roles in an organization, which hinge on effective communication. Managers transmit messages up and down the chain of command, offering worker insight to those at higher levels and corporate guidance to those at lower levels. They might also communicate external information from customers and vendors.
2. 2. Leadership: The role of a manager starts with leadership. Managers oversee a set of team members and guide them in their duties. The best managers even serve as role models to their direct charges.
3. 3. Decision-making: Managers play decisional roles in an organization. Top managers steer the entire organization, while departmental managers focus primarily on their department and immediate colleagues. Project managers focus on one single objective at a time.
4. 4. Mentoring and advocacy: Effective managers do not merely oversee other employees. They treat them as true team members, advocating for them with upper management and offering advice and mentorship as appropriate.
5. 5. Problem-solving: Problem-solving is intrinsic to the nature of managerial work. A manager’s job may not involve setting policies, but they will take corrective action when plans go awry. A manager may also play a negotiator role, like a de facto human resources officer, if problems arise between team members. Learn more about problem-solving.

Henry Mintzberg, a Canadian academic and business writer, categorizes management roles into ten main types. Mintzberg’s management roles are:

1. 1. Leader: The first of Mintzberg’s managerial roles is that of a leader. Leaders call upon their management skills to oversee their staff, keep projects on pace, and provide feedback. At times, a leader may find themselves motivating staff to see a project through to its finish.
2. 2. Disseminator: The disseminator plays an informational role within an organization. They communicate company initiatives, long-term goals, and expectations from top management.
3. 3. Disturbance handler: Disturbance handlers stand out for their problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills. When plans go awry, managers spring into action to find workarounds. Managers may work with human resources officers to address underlying issues when employees show dissatisfaction. When external clients complain, disturbance handlers assuage their anger and find solutions.
4. 4. Entrepreneur: Entrepreneurs managers build from the ground up. They specialize in personal drive and problem-solving. When problems arise, or sales wane, the entrepreneur devises new ideas to keep the company on track. They also build collaborative workplaces that utilize the talents of each employee.
5. 5. Figurehead: The figurehead role is a symbolic one. When managers meet prospective clients or attend conferences, they act as the face of the company, promoting its brand and ethos.
6. 6. Liaison: Managers can act as a go-between who bridges the gap between the C-suite and associate-level employees at lower levels. A strong liaison promotes healthy organizational structures by hearing and sharing what each end of the company needs from the other.
7. 7. Monitor: The role of monitoring requires both internal and external focus. Internally, good managers track team progress and align stakeholders toward common goals. Externally, these leaders monitor new trends and changing technologies, thinking proactively about potential new products and new marketing initiatives.
8. 8. Negotiator: For some managers, every day brings some form of negotiation, which may mean negotiating with an employee about their salary. It may mean trading figures with an outside vendor or client regarding a contract or negotiating among vested company stakeholders who want their ideas heard. In all cases, the manager must remain firm and fair, looking out for the company’s interests.
9. 9. Resource allocator: Managers frequently distribute resources such as money, equipment, and human resources. Top executives often give managers a budget and resources with which to work. The manager must then decide how to allocate these resources as they seek a strong return on investment and an empowered, satisfied workforce.
10. 10. Spokesperson: Managers can be the face of a company, presenting sales or statistics at shareholder meetings or speaking on behalf of the brand at a workshop or conference. In their spokesperson role, a successful manager favorably represents the company to new clients and the general public.

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