Mintzberg’s 10 Managerial Roles Essay

This chart summarizes a manager’s ten roles: | | |Mintzberg’s Managerial Roles | | | | | | |Category |Role |Activity |Examples | | | | | | |Informational |Monitor |Seek and acquire work-related |Scan/read trade press,   periodicals, | | | |information |reports; attend seminars and | | | | |training; maintain personal contacts | |   | | | | | |Disseminator |Communicate/ disseminate information |Send memos and reports; inform staffers and | | | |to others within the organization |subordinates of decisions | |   | | | | | |Spokesperson |Communicate/transmit information to |Pass on memos, reports and informational | | | |outsiders |materials; participate in | | | | |conferences/meetings and report progress | |   |   |   |   | | | | | | |Interpersonal |Figurehead |Perform social and legal duties, act |Greet visitors, sign legal documents, attend| | | |as symbolic leader |ribbon cutting ceremonies, | | | | |host receptions, etc. | |   | | | | | |Leader |Direct and motivate subordinates, |Includes almost all interactions with | | | |select and train employees |subordinates | |   | | | | | |Liaison |Establish and maintain contacts within|Business correspondence, participation in | | | |and outside the organization |meetings with representatives | | | | |of other divisions or organizations.   | |   |   |   |   | | | | | | |Decisional |Entrepreneur |Identify new ideas and initiate |Implement innovations; Plan for the future | | | |improvement projects | | |   | | | | | |Disturbance Handler |Deals with disputes or problems and |Settle conflicts between subordinates; | | | |takes corrective action |Choose strategic alternatives; | | | | |  Overcome crisis situations | |   | | | | | |Resource Allocator |Decide where to apply resources |Draft and approve of plans, schedules, | | | | |budgets; Set priorities | |   | | | | | |Negotiator |Defends business interests |Participates in and directs negotiations | | | | |within team, department, and organization | In the real world, these roles overlap and a manager must learn to balance them in order to manage effectively. While a manager’s work can be analyzed by these individual roles, in practice they are intermixed and interdependent. According to Mintzberg: â€Å"The manager who only communicates or only conceives never gets anything done, while the manager who only ‘does’ ends up doing it all alone.†