What is a Manager?

A manager is a person tasked with overseeing one or more employees or departments to ensure these employees or departments carry out assigned duties as required. Depending on the size of the company there might be a single, dual or triple management layer involved. In large companies management is basically divided into three tiers: upper or senior management, mid-management and lower management. Lower management includes managers who operate at basic levels of commerce or function. Mid-level management oversees lower-management and generates reports for senior management. Senior or upper management commonly consists of a board of directors or shareholders who own the company and are responsible for making key decisions that affect the company. In commercial franchises like fast food restaurants, a retail manager ensures the daily business functions smoothly. If an employee calls in sick, if there is a problem with stock or deliveries, or if a customer has an issue, a good manager will take care of the problem quickly by assigning someone to it or by addressing it personally. Decisions made at this level of management are normally short-term decisions that are geared towards basic operational needs. Mid-management can include supervisors that field large territories and solve problems within the lower-management tier. Mid-management is also responsible for reporting to upper-management, though this function has largely been replaced by technology that has automated the reporting process. A manager at this level might make tactical decisions about how to best handle challenging situations that arise. Upper management is responsible for overseeing and guiding the business to success through making strategic long-term decisions. Strategies are based on analyzing data and extrapolating plans of action that address relevant issues while improving the bottom-line whenever possible. In the case of a small, family-owned business there may be a “low-level” office manager that reports directly to the owner(s) of the company. The office manager might be responsible for a variety of duties commonly divided into individual departments in larger companies. These duties might include accounting, shipping and customer service, where additional employees who act under the office manager carry out most of these tasks. The office manager might also double as accountant, head sales representative or buyer, for example. A managerial position of any kind holds more responsibility than a simple employee and generally pays a higher wage. Advanced managerial positions normally require a degree and experience, though companies differ in structure and in requirements.