A “manager” in an organization is defined as one who has the responsibility for contribution. Generally, the general population has the idea that anyone that is a manager is a boss and is therefore “higher” up on the organizational scale. While that is true in a lot of companies, that was not the intended role of a manager; the ability to have people contribute effectively was. In order for an individual to effectively have teams collectively contribute to the company, that individual would be moved into a management role in effect taking on the responsibility of that role. The responsiblity a manager takes on are setting, organizing and following objectives, communicate and motivate others to achieve those objectives and to track results and analyze how the actions set by the manager are impacting the business.

What separates a manager between a supervisor is the external power to shape the direction of the business whether segmental or total. To give an example in a factory building automobiles, the manager or management has the ability and responsibility to decide on what type and class of automobiles go on the market. Compact cars or trucks? SUV’s or sedans? The manager makes a decision on the direction his area goes in and with this decision comes actionable objectives and a way to measure results. Drucker’s formula management by objectives goes into larger detail that I will discuss here later on. If the manager decides on building trucks, she communicates and motivates others around her, top management, peers and subordinates. Being a manager is not about “controlling” those below you, but working as a sphere and encompassing those around you.

A supervisor’s role is to assist in making sure their directs are working on the objectives set by the manager. Where the supervisor has some core aspects of a manager such as communication, motivation and organization, the major responsibility from shareholders and executives falls on the manager of the project. The supervisor can have all her directs working in tandem with the organization’s goals; however, she does not have the responsibility in effect cancelling out the management action to decide to go down a different path. That external power from a supervisor of organizational decision lies inside and does not penetrate their managers sphere of influence. The effective manager needs to land all of the criteria laid out: The objectives, organizational, communicative and motivational skills, analytical ability and people development. The more a manager is touching and expanding their knowledge of these key points, the larger that sphere gets internally and externally and the easier it is for the supervisors, directs and executives to control their performance.