We’re going to continue our look at the different roles of managers by focusing today on a manager’s role when it comes to dealing with information. As we noted earlier this week, a manager is responsible for monitoring information, disseminating information, and acting as a spokesperson. Let’s take a closer look at what each of those tasks entails.

As a monitor it is your job to keep track of what information is coming in and going out of your organisation. In order to do this you must accept and review information that you receive (whether you asked for it or not) as well as ask the questions needed in order to obtain new information.

The disseminator is responsible for handling and distributing the information he or she has received. This means making sure that subordinates and, in some cases, higher ups receive the information you have gathered – especially if they would not otherwise know about it.

As a spokesperson you may be asked to share information that is pertinent to your particular work group with other work groups within your organisation. In some cases you may be asked to give reports to people who work outside of your organisation. Either way, you’re going to be responsible for the proper transmission of information.

The way you handle information is imperative to the success of not only your own career but your organisation as a whole. Take the time to look at every piece of information you receive and determine whether or not it is really critical and, if it is, make sure it gets shared with the right people as soon as possible!

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

As a manager you’ll find you’re regularly subjected to a plethora of valuable information on a regular basis. What’s important to your company, however, is how that information is handled. Information goes through three main phases:

1. Information is gathered and enters the work environment
2. Information is reviewed and used
3. Information leaves the organisation

Let’s say, for example, you are developing a marketing plan for a new product. The first thing you need to do is gather information about the market, but you need to ensure that the information you are gathering is relevant to the project.

This information will then need to be sent to others within your organisation as they work to actually develop the product. You’ll have to make sure each piece of data remains accurate, updating it as often as necessary and making sure that the appropriate staff members have access.

Finally, information will begin to leave the organisation. You may begin developing tests for your products, leaking press releases, and advertising the product itself. The timing of this release is essential to ensure your competitors don’t have enough time to react before you make your product launch.

The way you control the information that is used in your workplace is essential to your success. This is another reason why you need to carefully screen new job applicants, as you need to be sure they will respect the privacy of your company as you develop new products, services, and marketing plans.

Do you have control of the information in your organisation? If not, what changes do you need to make?

Thanks again,

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

Everyone within your organisation is responsible for effective information management, but it seems as though the higher up you are on the corporate ladder the more information you end up being responsible for. As a manager, it’s up to you to make sure that all of the information you receive is passed on to the appropriate parties in a timely manner.

At the lowest level, your employees, team members, or customer service personnel are most likely responsible for maintaining client or project files. The information they receive must be organised so that anyone who picks up the file can understand its contents and find the data he needs.

As a manager, you are responsible for receiving information from various sources. These may include upper management, human resources, accounting, or other departments that impact your work. You then have to sort through that information, organize it, and pass it on to the appropriate parties. Once a project is completed, you must take the information from your team members and create a final document to be presented to upper management or your clients. Information is constantly coming at you from all directions.

Thankfully, advancing technology has enabled us to move away from paper files and store all of our information electronically. This has allowed for increased process improvement but in the beginning most companies experienced quite a bit of resistance to change. Many employees were nervous about learning how to use the new software applications associated with better information management. Now that these programs have been around for some time, most people learn about them in high school and college courses designed to prepare them for the business world.

I urge you to take a few minutes out of your day to evaluate your information management skills. Are you an organized person or do you have to spend a considerable amount of time searching for the documents you need? You may need to simply spend a few hours organizing your information or you might need more training on the information management systems already in place. It’s up to you to identify your needs and take action to increase your effectiveness as an information manager.

Thanks again,

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”