The Process of Management

Management is a process that unites limited human and material resources and inspires individuals to
accomplish shared organizational goals. It is a series of continuing, positive actions rather than a single
act.

Planning, organizing, directing (or leading), staffing, and controlling are the steps that make up the
management process.

The management process's components aid managers concentrate their efforts to produce positive
outcomes. Take a look at the five traditional management process functions.

Planning

In management, planning is deciding which objectives and activities are appropriate to pursue and then
determining what tactics to employ, actions to take, and resources required to attain the goals.

Organizing

Employees may combine their efforts to accomplish shared organizational goals by creating working
partnerships.

Directing (Leading)

Defining a vision, and influencing, persuading, inspiring, and motivating people are part of this role.

Staffing

organizing the hiring and recruitment of personnel for open jobs within the various teams and
departments.

Controlling

Analyze the accomplishment of objectives, enhancement of performance, and capacity for action. Put
procedures in place to assist you in creating standards so you can assess, evaluate, and decide.

Simply put, management must identify the organization's goals, consider strategies for achieving them,
choose how to adapt and how to use material resources, identify the human resources needed for the
job overall, assign specific tasks to specific people, inspire them, and provide tools to ensure that
activities are moving in the right direction.

An organization's senior management is in charge of implementing its management process. The

execution of a management process may occasionally fall under the project manager's purview, for
instance. Therefore this is only sometimes the case for all management processes.

The specific activities in the management process are discussed more thoroughly in the succeeding
chapters.

Requirements for the Engineer Manager's Job

An engineering manager is in charge of creating overarching ideas for new goods and/or resolving issues
that can delay execution. They spend time directing, planning appropriately, and managing workers in
several areas throughout the project.

An engineering manager will be responsible for a variety of activities. However, their main emphasis will
be delegating work to engineers and technical staff, managing project logistics, and ensuring that
projects are finished on time and on budget.

The following credentials are necessary for the engineer manager, depending on the kind of goods or
services a company offers:

1. A Bachelor's degree in Engineering from a reputable school; in some cases, a master's degree in
engineering or business management is required;

2. A few years of experience in a pure engineering job;

3. Training in supervision;

4. Special training in Engineering management

These qualifications will significantly aid the engineer manager as they carry out numerous management
duties.

How one may become a successful Engineer Manager

There are many similarities between engineers and engineering managers, but there are also some key
distinctions. An engineering job's business and management parts are more appealing to engineering
managers. Although effective engineering managers will share a lot of the same technical expertise as
the engineers they supervise, their main concern is ensuring that teams operate at levels that will help
the organization achieve its objectives.

Successful Engineer Managers do not just appear by accident, but luck certainly plays a role. The
engineering manager must understand the several factors that contribute to effective management.

More than just obtaining a degree is required to become a successful engineering manager. It
necessitates applying what you learn to actual circumstances. Project management, people
management, and business management are the three major categories that best describe successful
engineering managers' characteristics, abilities, and experiences.

At least three broad prerequisites are listed by Kreitner as necessary for managers to have long-term
success. These are what they are:

1. Ability

2. Motivation to manage, and

3. Opportunity

Ability

The ability of an engineer manager to successfully and efficiently accomplish organizational goals is
referred to as managerial ability.
According to Higgins, efficiency describes the proportion of resources employed to achieve
effectiveness, whereas effectiveness refers to "whether objectives are attained."

To Illustrate:

If a civil engineer was asked by his superiors to finish a 100-kilometer road cementing project within
eight months, he said it to be effective if he finished the job within the required period. On the other
hand, his efficiency is measured by the inputs (labor and materials) he poured into the project in relation
to the output (the 100-kilometer road). The more efficient the civil engineer becomes if the same output
is made with fewer inputs.

References:

• Jacob K. (2021, March 4). Management Process: Definition, Features, and Functions. Retrieved
from https://www.upgrad.com/blog/management-process-explained/#:~:text=At%20the%20basic
%20level%2C%20management,staffing%2C%20leading%2C%20and%20controlling.

• Arkansas State University (2017, March 1). What Makes a Good Engineering Manager. Retrieved
from https://degree.astate.edu/articles/engineering/good-engineering-manager.aspx

• Resources for Employers (2021). Engineering Manager Job Description. Retrieved from
https://resources.workable.com/engineering-manager-job-description