ADMS 1010. Exploring the functions of business Section B Troy Young Mujibul Nur Haque 214500102 Effective Management demands the managers to have “insight into their own work” (Mintzberg,1990, p.173), says Henry Mintzberg. There is no argument there, it is integral that managers have a deep understanding of the complex nature of their work and somewhat dynamic work environment. Having a firm grasp on such dimensions is no easy job and discussing the managers’ job is a feat far greater. But thankfully “Critical Thinking”, makes the managers’ job manageable. Managers play a number of different roles, notably the decision maker and the information monitor being the two most important. As monitors, Managers are explicitly exposed to certain information due to their positions which is generally acquired verbally, as “gossips, hearsay, and speculation” (Mintzberg, 1990, p.169), declares Mintzberg. Managers are required to critically assess and analyze this information and eventually make important decisions regarding them. Effective managers are self-aware. They make an effort to be or are conscious of their strengths and weaknesses. They are introspective and strive to know their own biases. They look beyond the surface of the issue to find the underlying problems. They learn from different ideas and develop their own “informed opinions” that help them to make better judgements. Hence, Managers are more likely to be effective when they are self-aware and introspective i.e. a Critical Thinker (Mintzberg, 1990, p.173) Critical thinking has allowed me to take a deeper look at myself, and after carefully assessing myself over the years, it is fair to say that I have only scratched the surface. None the less, I have become more self-aware. I realized that my strengths lie in interaction and communication. Understanding your own emotions and being able to empathize with others also helps. I always make an effort to understand people, especially the ones I work with closely. As a Manager, this helps me to effectively motivate my subordinates and bring out the best in them. My performance depends on my level of preparation. Last minute preparation has rarely brought me positive results. I am a “reader” in that context according to Drucker (Drucker, 2005, p.103). In addition, one also needs a method to learn. I learn better through experience and through mistakes as results do not come overnight. You fail and learn, and you improve. I believe that results are important but more so the way we achieve them. I have reached a stage in life where I refuse to cheat or display unethical conduct. Being honest and doing right by others are values that I live by and these values are a fundamental layer to who I am. Recently, I have only begun to understand where I belong. I belong with people, working closely to serve a higher purpose. I prefer the Human Effect over the vast automated society. It might sound superficial, but it’s the truth. In the rapid progress of technology, our generation is slowly forgetting what it means to be Human. That is where I want to contribute- towards the Human Effect by being aware of myself and others. ADMS 1010. Exploring the functions of business Section B Troy Young Mujibul Nur Haque 214500102 Bibliography 1. Mintzberg, H. (1990). The Manager’s Job: Folklore and Fact. Harvard Business Review, 68(2), 163–176. 2. Drucker, P. F. (2005). Managing Oneself. Harvard Business Review, 83(1), 100–109. 3. Dyer, L. (2011). Critical Thinking for Business Students. Captus Press. (Chapter 1: What is critical thinking)
