Management by objectives


A popular method of management is what is referred to as 'management by objectives'. This involves setting objectives and targets for different aspects of the organisation. The managers job is then to make sure that these objectives are achieved given an allocated amount of resources. The objectives will either be achieved, exceeded, or fallen short of - requiring remedial action where appropriate

Another form of management is an autocratic approach where managers set targets and objectives for others and supervise the performance of their work. The problem with autocratic managers is that they can be intimidating and often fail to encourage employees so that they do not use the human resource as well as possible

Consultative managers consult with others to find out their views and ideas before making decisions

Democratic managers encourage others to make decisions for themselves
Self managing teams are ones where management is devolved to members of a team, which does not have to wait for instructions from above

The style of management that is most appropriate is often dependent on the situation e.g. the nature of the industry, the speed with which decisions need to be made, the familiarity of managers and others with the management style etc

Problems of management


Management has been described as getting things done through or by other people. The effective manager therefore needs to be able to inspire and motivate others at work. However, management is not an easy task and some people fail to make good managers

  • because they lack the personality and drive to organise well
  • they fail to inspire others
  • because their style of management does not fit in with their organisation, or the people that they are expected to manage
  • because they have not been provided with appropriate training


There is an important distinction between proactive and reactive management. A proactive manager is someone that makes things happen through the actions and decisions that they make. The proactive manager shapes the future rather than waiting for the future to happen