Functional Area of Business

Functional Area of Business

' Earning one’s master’s degree is a very prestigious accomplishment. With the title of MBA behind your name, you have proven you have the book knowledge to be a leader, but does having book knowledge ensure you will be an effective leader? Will you be proactive manager who asks the questions and prepares his or her team for any contingency, or will you be a reactive manager, who leaves the employees out on their own and does not see the relationship between the lack of communication and the lack of production? In the article “Four Important Roles of a Manager”, author Bill Tiffan states, “The problem is too many managers oversimplify their roles and, in fact, abdicate their responsibilities. They overemphasize employee autonomy to the point that people management becomes a more reactive rather than proactive role” (Tiffan, 2011 para. 2 pg.1)

Proactive Managers

The difference between a proactive manager and a reactive manager is that the reactive manager views the leadership role as a title alone. His or her obligation to the employees ends at the door to his or her office. A reactive manager will not have a loyal house. The discontent will rise, and the reactive manager will travel a vicious circle of employee turnaround and business goal failure. The proactive manager, on the other hand, sets clear expectations, which, define the boundaries of the job. Team members know what is required of them, and the consequences of failure. The proactive manager encourages participation by his or her employees and openly accepts feedback as a way to model the company favorably, as well as monitor and measure business and employee outlook and growth.

Monitor and Measure Performance.

Again, we compare and contrast a proactive management style with that of a reactive management style. Tiffan recounted some of the things he has heard other managers say though-out the years in regards to managing employees. Tiffan stated,” These words-in whole or in part-are direct quotes from managers I have worked with over the years. They often say these things when describing their management style.” (Tiffan, 2011 para 2. Pg.1) Tiffan went on to share,” I do not micromanage my people. If they need me my door is always open, and they know I am ready to help them. They are adults and need to be given autonomy to do their thing. I would not have hired them if I did not have confidence they could do the job without my looking over their shoulders.” (Tiffan 2011, para 1. Pg.1).

Where is the first hand observation? How do the reactive managers know if the assigned tasks meet the requirements and the expectations? Where is the communication? How does the employee know what he or she is lacking, when managerial leadership is absent? Are time management problems affecting their effectiveness?

...