Mintzberg's 10 managerial roles
Figurehead
This role requires performing social, ceremonial, and legal responsibilities. The Figurehead represents the organization, as well as motivates the team to achieve goals. For people, this managerial role is a source of power and authority.
Examples:
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Managers in the figurehead role attend social event where they promote their company.
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Greeting a potential business client and giving a tour.
Leader
The leader role is the most pivotal as it shows to which extent a manager’s potential is realized. Managers are in charge of their people's performance, which may mean leading a team, a department, or an entire organization.
The responsibilities include hiring and training (direct leadership) and encouragement of employees (indirect leadership). Leaders influence and motivate people, giving them a sense of purpose to reach organizational goals.
Example:
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A manager sets a goal for the team and communicates his expectations, making sure that people understand them. He monitors their progress and provides feedback and resources if needed.
Liaison
Managers in the liaison role develop and maintain internal and external relationships. They are a connection link that bridges the gap between employees of different levels to ensure work is done smoothly. Liaisons transfer knowledge through different members of the organization, up and down the chain of command, and can also involve their business contacts from outside the company.
Examples:
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A manager coordinates with people inside the company, as well as coordinating work between the company’s units.
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A manager coordinates with people outside the organization, such as buyers, suppliers, and strategic partners.
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Manager-client-employee interaction. A manager communicates with a client to see what the client's needs are, providing this information to the employees after the fact.
Monitor
In the monitor role, managers are expected to look for information necessary for their organization, as well as for information that can concern potential industry changes. They gather internal and external sources, trying to identify problems and opportunities for growth. In other words, they scan the environment to assess the current state of things in a company and see if corrective action is needed.
Examples:
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Seeking customer feedback to see how exactly you can improve your products or services.
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Monitoring industry trends, like products made by competitors or government regulatory changes, in order to meet standards and stay on track.
Disseminator
Receiving information from various sources, a manager in the disseminator role is responsible for sharing it with those who may need it. This can be done in both verbal and written forms.
A manager can pass on information directly to the appropriate person, or pass it on between subordinates if they lack contact. The information can concern the organization's direction or strategy, as well as specific technical issues.
Examples:
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A one-on-one conversation between a manager and an employee where a certain issue is discussed.
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Developing a proposal for a new product design, submitting it to upper management for approval, and providing it to the employees so that they can get familiarized with it.
Spokesperson
Managers in a spokesperson role speak for their organization, defending the company's interests. Their responsibility is to make the organization look good in the eyes of potential or new clients and the general public.
Examples:
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A manager attends the annual shareholders’ meeting, informing the attendees about the results her team has achieved this year and presenting statistics.
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A manager speaks on behalf of the company at a conference.
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Division leaders talk to other division leaders, informing them about strategies and resource requirements.
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CEOs meet with investors or government officials to give them information about the company which they may find useful. This way, they can persuade investors that their company is pursuing a good strategy, and raise some capital.
Entrepreneur
In the entrepreneur role, a manager organizes and runs business processes. This role develops and implements new ideas or strategies, which often means coming up with innovative solutions. Entrepreneurs create conditions for change since innovation and change are needed for a company to stay competitive. Besides, they make sure a company adopts new products and processes pioneered by others or change the organizational structure.
Examples:
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A manager decides to use social media to increase sales.
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A manager reorganizes a weak department, or uses mergers or acquisitions.
Disturbance handler
A manager solves issues as they arise – like sales that grow too slowly, a client breaking a contract, or valuable employees leaving. The task of the manager in the disturbance handler role is to fix the problem, maintaining productivity.
Example:
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When two members of a team have a conflict, it’s the manager’s responsibility to help them resolve it.
Resource Allocator
The resource allocator role requires a manager to determine how and where to apply organizational resources. By resources we mean equipment, staff, funding, facilities, and time. Typically, the resources an organization has are limited, so it takes some effort to decide how to best allocate them.
Example:
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A manager divides funding between the departments of his organization, based on their current and future needs.
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A marketing manager divides funding between media advertizing and promotions.
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A resource manager distributes project workload across people.
Negotiator
Managers participate in negotiations, trying to reach their goals. This managerial role includes negotiating with external parties, where they represent the interests of their organizations, as well as negotiating with internal parties, such as other departments or team members.
The better negotiation skills managers have, the higher their chances to come to an agreement with customers, better organize the work process, and gain access to more resources.
Examples:
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A manager negotiates pricing, delivery, and design with customers.
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A manager negotiates over access to capital and personnel with seniors.