Zanfardino LE-400 Chapter 1, Lesson 1

Managers and Management

AFJROTC LE-400 LESSON PLAN 1

PART I

Lesson 1: Management Basics

Instructor: Maj. John Zanfardino
Teaching Method: Informal Lecture and Practical Application
Visual Aids (VA): PowerPoint Presentation via Turning Point Technologies software.
Student Preparation:
Reading Assignment: Text, Chapter 1, Lesson 1
Homework Assignment: Student Workbooks items may be used for this lesson as
homework or in-class assignment and entered into Power Teacher and TPT system.
Date of Lesson Development: January 7-11

PART IA

Lesson Objectives:
1. Know who managers are
2. Know where managers work
3. Know what management is
4. Know what managers do

Samples of Behavior/Main Points:

1. Describe the three characteristics of an organization
2. List three examples of organizations
3. Explain the difference between an operative and a manager
4. Identify three levels of managers
5. Define efficiency and effectiveness
6. List the four basic management processes
7. Describe three kinds of management behavior

PART IB

Strategy: Students benefit from knowing the purposes, functions, and roles of managers in
organizations. Approach this lesson by explaining how groups of people (e.g., classrooms,
sports teams, military units, retail stores, banks, government agencies, or other organizations in
the frame of reference of students) perform better when managers work well with team members
(operatives). Understanding the roles and responsibilities of managers will help students gain a
better appreciation for the work of teachers, school administrators, employers, and various other
managers with whom they interact.

PowerPoint Presentation: Information points will appear on screen w/mouse clicks.

Lesson One, Management Basics

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 Zanfardino LE-400 Chapter 1, Lesson 1
Managers and Management
Optional Exercises: Pages 7 and 9.

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduction (5 min.)

2. Quick Write (5 min.)

3. Topics (40 min.)

a. Who managers are and where they work

b. What management is and what managers do

4. Conclusion/Wrap-up (10 min.)

Lesson One, Management Basics

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 Zanfardino LE-400 Chapter 1, Lesson 1
Managers and Management
PART II

INTRODUCTION

Lesson One, Management Basics

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 Zanfardino LE-400 Chapter 1, Lesson 1
Managers and Management

ATTENTION
If you have ever been in a class, on a team, or in a store where it
took way too long to finish a task because people were
confused, disorganized, and out of control, you have seen the
effects of poor management. Good managers are extremely
important for the success of any organization, including
schools, sports teams, stores, banks, or churches.

MOTIVATION
Today you will learn about who managers are, why their work
is so important to success, and what exactly they do that is so
essential. The more you understand about what managers do,
the better you will be able to be successful when you are put in
a management position. And it may happen sooner than you
think.

CHAPTER OVERVIEW
In this chapter on Managers and Management, we will cover the
following topics (this lesson’s topics are in bold):
1. Management Basics
a. Who managers are and where they work
b. What management is and what managers do
2. Management in the Marketplace
a. Skills and competencies successful managers possess
b. The importance the marketplace puts on managers
c. Why management is worth studying
d. How management relates to other disciplines

LESSON OVERVIEW
Today, we’ll cover the following topics:
1. Who managers are and where they work
2. What management is and what managers do

Lesson One, Management Basics

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 Zanfardino LE-400 Chapter 1, Lesson 1
Managers and Management
QUICK WRITE
Why is a class in management important to you? How does it fit
into your career plans?

Have the students write a response to the Quick Write on a

separate piece of paper and be prepared to discuss their
answers with the class.

Lesson One, Management Basics

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 BODY

PRESENTATION
1. Who managers are and where they work

a. Managers work in organizations

(1) An organization is a collection of people brought

together to accomplish a specific purpose

(2) High schools, religious organizations, a convenience

store, the New England Patriots football team, and
the Sprint Corporation are all examples of
organizations

b. Organizations have three common characteristics

(1) Each has a distinct purpose

(2) Each has people or members

(3) Each has a definite structure

c. Not everyone who works in an organization is a
manager

(1) Besides managers, organizations have operatives

(2) Operatives are people who work directly on a job

or task. They have no responsibility for overseeing
others’ work.

(3) A manager, on the other hand, is a person who

directs the activities of other people in the
organization. Managers supervise both operatives
and lower-level managers.

d. Managers are classified as top, middle, or first-line

(1) First-line managers direct the activities of

operative employees. These managers are usually
called supervisors.

(2) Middle managers serve in levels between the first-

line managers and the top management. They
manage other managers—and maybe some operative
employees. They translate top management’s goals
into specific tasks for lower-level managers.
 (3) Top managers make decisions about the
organization’s direction. They set policies for all
members to follow. Naturally, they serve at or near
the top of organizations.

OPTIONAL EXERCISE: Have students identify the

managers and operatives in the following list of
organizations (see PowerPoint slide).
 Soccer team
 JROTC unit
 High School
Ask the students: Are principals in a high school first-line,
middle, or top managers?
2. What management is and what managers do

a. Management is the process of getting things done,

through and with other people, with efficiency and
effectiveness

(1) Efficiency is doing a task correctly using as few

resources as possible

(2) Effectiveness is doing the right task and reaching

goals

(3) Efficiency and effectiveness are different, but

related. It’s easier to be effective if you ignore
efficiency. Critics claim some government agencies
are effective but inefficient.

(4) Good management tries to reach goals

(effectiveness) as efficiently as possible

(5) Some organizations are efficient but not effective.

They do the wrong things well. Some colleges, for
example, have become very efficient in processing
students. They have significantly cut the cost of
educating each one (efficiency). But critics may
claim they don’t educate students properly
(effectiveness).

b. Management processes

(1) Planning is defining goals, setting strategy, and

coordinating activities. Once an organization defines
its goals, it needs a strategy to achieve them. It must
also decide which activities to perform and in what
order. Setting goals helps the organization’s
members focus on what’s most important.

(2) Organizing is deciding what to do and how to do it.

It includes who will do the task, who reports to
 whom, and who will make decisions. Organizing
determines an organization’s structure.

(3) Leading is motivating employees, directing others’

activities, and resolving conflicts. It is part of a
manager’s job to direct and coordinate what people
do in the organization.

(4) Controlling is monitoring tasks to see that they are

finished as planned. A manager compares
performance with the organization’s goals. If the
organization veers off course, the manager must
steer it back in the right direction.

c. Management roles

(1) Interpersonal relationships include being a

figurehead, leader, and liaison between people (see
Mintzberg’s managerial roles chart)

(2) Transferring information includes the role of

monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson (see
Mintzberg’s managerial roles chart)

(3) Decision making involves being an entrepreneur,

disturbance handler, resource allocator, and
negotiator (see Mintzberg’s managerial roles chart)

OPTIONAL EXERCISE: Ask students to recall a time

when they stood in line for a long time waiting to purchase
something and have one or two students briefly tell their
story. Then ask: How is standing in line waiting to make a
purchase an example of efficiency and effectiveness? After
a brief discussion, ask: How would planning affect how
long the lines in a store are? How would organizing affect
the length of lines?

d. Is the manager’s job universal? Does it matter where a

manager manages? Do all managers do the same thing,
regardless of whether they are top-level executives or
first-line supervisors? Does it matter whether they run
government agencies, large corporations, or small
businesses?

(1) The importance of a manager’s roles varies,

depending on the manager’s level in the
 organization. But that doesn’t mean the jobs of a
claims supervisor at Aetna and the company’s
president are basically different. The differences are
of degree and emphasis. All managers make
decisions. They plan, organize, lead, and control.
But the time they give each activity changes with the
manager’s level.

(2) Profit and not-for-profit managers all plan,

organize, lead, and control, but the way they
measure performance is different. A business firm
measures its performance by the amount of profit it
makes—the “bottom line.” But not-for-profit
organizations don’t share a universal measure of
effectiveness. It’s a lot harder to measure the
 performance of schools, museums, charities, or
government agencies.

(3) The size of the organization makes a difference.

The jobs of small-business managers differ
somewhat from managers of larger organizations.
Small-business managers’ most important role is that
of spokesman: They meet with customers, arrange
financing with bankers, search for new
opportunities, and cause change. In contrast,
managers in a large organization mostly deal with
issues inside the company—such as who gets which
resources, and how many. The first-line and middle
managers in large firms don’t spend a lot of time
looking for business opportunities and planning to
improve performance. Small-business managers are
also more likely to be generalists. Managers in large
businesses tend to be specialists.

(4) It’s important to mention two final points about what

(all) managers do: First, managers make decisions;
and second, managers are agents of change.
Change is constant in today’s world. Successful
managers are aware of the rapid changes around
them. They are flexible in adapting to deal with
those changes.

REVIEW

 Managers work in organizations

 An organization is a collection of people brought together
to accomplish a specific purpose
 Organizations have three characteristics – they have people
who are members, they have a specific purpose, and they
have a definite structure
 Operatives are people who work directly on a job or task.
They have no responsibility for overseeing others’ work
 A manager, on the other hand, is a person who directs the
activities of other people in the organization. Managers
supervise both operatives and lower-level managers.
 Organizations can have first-line managers, middle
managers, and top managers
 Management is the process of getting things done, through
and with other people, with efficiency and effectiveness
 Efficiency is doing a task correctly using as few resources
as possible
 Effectiveness is doing the right task and reaching goals
 Management processes include planning, organizing,
leading, and controlling
 Managers have interpersonal, informational, and decisional
roles
 Managers have the same functions, including making
decisions and adjusting to change, but how they perform
their tasks is different depending on their level in the
organization, the size of organization, or whether the
organization is a profit or not-for-profit organization
 CONCLUSION

SUMMARY
In this lesson we discussed the following:
1. Who managers are and where they work
2. What management is and what managers do

REMOTIVATION
Now you know more about managers and management. We are
ready to consider more about what is required for managers to be
successful and why they are so important in the marketplace.

CLOSURE
We’ve learned about management basics – who managers are,
where they work, what management is, and what managers do.
Next, we’ll learn about management in the marketplace – what
makes managers successful, why is management important in the
marketplace, why it is worth studying, and how it relates to other
disciplines of study.
Checkpoints

Below are the answers to the items listed at the end of the lesson in the student textbook edition
of Principles of Management. These end-of-lesson items are not assigned in the lesson plans or
student workbooks. The answers are provided here in case you want to assign any of them in
your classes, for homework, or if your students ask you about them. They are in the same order
as listed in the student textbook.

1. An organization is a collection of people brought together to accomplish a specific purpose

(p. 6).

2. An operative is a person who works directly on a job or task. He or she has no responsibility
for overseeing others’ work. A manager, on the other hand, is a person who directs the
activities of other people in the organization. Managers supervise both operatives and lower-
level managers (p. 7).

3. Efficiency and effectiveness are complementary. Both are necessary for managers to be
successful. It is important both to use the least amount of resources possible (efficiency) and
to do the right tasks and reach goals (effectiveness) (pp. 9-10).

4. The four management processes are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling (pp. 10-11).

5. The three levels of manager are first-line, middle, and top (p. 8).

6. The three sets of Mintzberg’s management roles are interpersonal relationships, transferring
information, and decision-making (p. 12).

7. Managers in a large organization do not serve as spokesmen for the organization in their
relationships with customers. They do not spend much time interacting with customers,
looking for new business opportunities, or planning to improve performance. But managers
in small business work with customers, suppliers, bankers, and others who are external to the
organization a great deal (p. 14).

8. Coleman Peterson added value to Wal-Mart by linking his work to the company’s goals. He
worked to find qualified talent and provide better training to employees so that they would be
available when new stores opened and would have the skills, abilities, and competencies to
work in a rapidly changing environment (pp. 15-16).

Applying Your Learning

9. Yes, high school principals are managers. They plan schedules and meetings related to
curriculum development, instruction, and administration, organize the staff to work
efficiently and effectively toward the goal of educating students, lead teachers and staff
members by motivating their performance, directing their activities, and negotiating conflicts
between different staff members, and establish monitors to control tasks in order to ensure
that they are completed adequately and on time (pp. 6-16).