What is a manager? That was the first question the group of line managers asked me. I just got hired by as a management trainee at a consumer goods company and was on my first month at its Manila manufacturing facility, going through orientation. I was required to undergo a qualification test with senior managersContinue reading “What is a Manager, Anyway?”
Category Archives: Aha!
Appreciating the Value of Veteran Employees
When I was a young industrial engineer at the food production division of a multinational company, the accounting department asked me to find out why there was a large reported loss of refined coconut oil. They’re the ones we always look for when we need something. I went to the production manager and he toldContinue reading “Appreciating the Value of Veteran Employees”
Three Questions Every New Manager Should Ask
Every new manager should always ask three (3) questions about an operation he or she will be in charge of: What does the book say should be happening? What do the people say should be happening? What is really happening? Chances are each answer would be totally different from the others. What does the bookContinue reading “Three Questions Every New Manager Should Ask”
The Heroes Among Us
It’s easy to criticise. It’s simple to call someone stupid. Social media in the Philippines has been abuzz since the pandemic began in 2020. Not that it hasn’t been abuzz before; it was more so after as people stayed home and expressed their frustrations. As vaccine supply remained scarce, the COVID-19 virus continued to wreakContinue reading “The Heroes Among Us”
A Guide to City Zoning; an Example of Management Organising
I asked the water company engineer why his company was digging up the street in front of my family’s house for the second time in a few years. He answered my question with a frown and a sigh. “I have to install new pipes because of that new building,” he replied as he pointed atContinue reading “A Guide to City Zoning; an Example of Management Organising”
Burning Platforms and How to Prevent Them
A proprietor who sells electrical products was experiencing a dramatic drop in sales. He hires a consultant who comes from a large multinational corporation and asks him what can be done. The consultant suggests that the proprietor develop a vision, mission, objectives, and strategies (VMOS) for his business. The consultant conducts a team-building session withContinue reading “Burning Platforms and How to Prevent Them”
Building Track Records of Trust
My mechanic, Diony, recommended I change the power steering fluid of my car. I use automatic transmission fluid (ATF) for the power steering because another mechanic said it was okay. But when Diony checked my car the other day, he said I shouldn’t use ATF for power steering. ATF is for automatic transmissions; power steeringContinue reading “Building Track Records of Trust”
What Organising Really Means
There are four (4) basic functions to management: planning, organising, directing, and controlling. We can picture what planning, directing, and controlling are. They’re kind of straightforward and self-explanatory. Organising, however, is not. When we “organise,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? We perhaps think of putting our stuff in order, like filing awayContinue reading “What Organising Really Means”
Owning versus Managing: What’s the Difference?
Do you own the business or do you manage the business?* A senior member of the board of trustees of a high-rise building walked into its administration office and asked the accountant there to order parts for a diesel generator set. The senior board member believed that the generator needed a minor repair and notContinue reading “Owning versus Managing: What’s the Difference?”
Management is Not Leading, and It Isn’t Staffing Either
First thing I was taught as a management trainee at a large multinational corporation in 1985 was that there are four (4) basic functions to managing. These are: Planning, Organising, Directing, Controlling. In 2021, when I search for “management functions” on the Internet, the results mostly are: Planning. Organising, Leading, Controlling, and Staffing. Leading hadContinue reading “Management is Not Leading, and It Isn’t Staffing Either”
Ellery's Essays 