The 2 key functions of the modern manager

For too long management has been mistaken for authoritative control of people. Where a manager is a powerful figure…almost dictatorial...ruling over his workers in the pursuit of efficiencies.

The decline in the number of manual workers and the ubiquity of the knowledge worker has required a re-think.

Knowledge workers today are often experts in their field. They are likely to be better qualified at their craft than even the people that manage them.

Take the example of the operation theatre for an organ transplant in a hospital. Here the managing doctor is by no means the most knowledgable person in the room. He or she must, for example, rely on the anaesthetist – who is the expert on sedation - to ensure the patient’s pain and consciousness is appropriate. Likewise, every person in that theatre will have to be relied upon for their expertise in order for the procedure to be a success. In such an environment the manager is simply co-ordinating the proceedings – not unlike a conductor for…