"There might be a crisis, but it is not a bad thing." At least it is what we, management students, are taught this whole time. Management course has always taught us how to create opportunities in every situation of crisis, to find every possible way in impossibilities, to garner more clients and how to make an impact. It is in the blood of every management scholars to sustain in every scarcity.

A good manager is expected to accomplish every task by sorting different pieces of a puzzle together. S/he has to make sure the office runs smoothly. S/he also has to put every effort to keep every individual motivated for better results. Learning new ideas, tackling problems and being a mentor are few of the qualities of a manager. A manager has to look after every staff and their safety, need to prepare a work schedule for them and see they do not overwork themselves. 

And the most important job, for a manager, is to get right people for the right jobs at the right place. It is quite a challenging job to work with people with different mindsets, different lives and different perceptions. Management is an art to manage daily lives, having the skills to deal with people of different cultures and from different races. Dealing with same people over and over is also a tough task as one cannot guarantee same mood(s) every day. 

If we go by the old perception, managers are believed to be those men wearing a three-piece suit with shiny shoes; that’s what everyone thought. But, the time has changed and so has people’s perception toward it. Today, a mother, a teacher and even a bus conductor are managers because they manage things.

A mother wakes up on time and wakes other members of the family on time. She prepares food so that they do not get late for school or office. If anyone is upset, she is the one to listen to every problem and where possible gives solutions. Even if it’s not in an office setting, a mother is a manager and like her, a manager in the company is required to be a watchdog. S/he is required to listen to complaints/suggestions from staffs or clients and keep them motivated.

In class, a teacher imparts knowledge to the students. Since every student does not possess the same level of understanding, a teacher needs to manage students by using various teaching methods. They are required to keep the class interactive and make sure they learn. Similarly, it is the responsibility of a manager to train every staff, make them confident, determined and assign tasks for them to execute.

Though conductor of a vehicle might not wear suits or shiny shoes, what they do is quite similar to the role of a manager. Let's picture a bus as an organization. In an organization, there is Chairman or Board of Directors (BoDs) to make plans and policies; they are the ones that make the vision. In a vehicle, a driver plays the same role. 

Chairpersons or BoDs in an organization might not know the situation of their staffs in an organization and driver in a bus might not know how passengers are being seated. So, it comes down to a conductor as to how the passengers are treated. Conductors need to ensure that passengers are safely entering the bus and getting seats. In our context, conductors manage even those who are standing and try to get as many passengers as possible in a small space. 

A manager is not only found in office room or companies but everywhere. Management is not only studied in books or colleges. But what we can learn from our surroundings is directly connected with management. The concept of management is broad and is changing day by day. The concept we study might not be feasible tomorrow. So, changing the view of management as per today’s need and creating good managers for future is necessary.

Author: Milan Giri. He is an MBA student at Himalayan White House International College, Mid-Baneshwar.