MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS
Managers spend their days juggling projects, people, and problems. Good managers have
learned how to balance them. They complete projects successfully and on time, guide and
support their employees, maintain good relationships with customers, and solve problems
quickly and decisively. Less effective managers often get bogged down and sidetracked. A
good manager recognizes challenges and finds ways to solve them. Less effective
managers may not even recognize the real challenges they face.
Challenge #1: Not Managing!
Believe it or not, many managers fail simply because they do not manage! A manager must
plan, organize, communicate, negotiate, and lead people toward a common goal. Too often,
some managers either do not understand these responsibilities or do not want them.
Managers who fail to manage will lose control of situations, people, and their own
professional careers.
For example, Susan is a “friend” to several of her employees. She lets them do what they
want because she feels uncomfortable correcting their unprofessional behavior. Not
surprisingly, the remaining employees resent her actions and have complained to her boss.
Susan is supposed to be a manager but she is not actually managing. Her first
responsibility is to run her department efficiently. She must find a way to balance her
personal relationships with her professional responsibilities.
Challenge #2: Not Communicating Effectively
Almost everything a manager does involves communication. He or she must communicate
with employees, customers, other managers, and bosses about a variety of subjects. This
communication includes verbal, nontiverbal, and written efforts. If a manager is not
communicating well in these areas, chances are, he or she is not a very effective manager.
