Management: Historical Perspectives & Definitions

"Good management consists in showing average people how to do the work of superior people." - John D. Rockefeller.

From driving workers to build the pyramids, to encouraging an outmanned army to charge the opposition, to getting a company team to work together, "managing people" is as timeless as civilization itself.

Early thinkers of management of people include:

• Sun Tzu - The Art of War (6th century BC) suggest leaders exploit the strengths and weaknesses of their people and those of their foe.
• Chanakya - Arthashastra (3rd century BC) focuses on managing families, economics, and empires.
• Niccolo Machiavelli - The Prince (1513) discusses tapping people's self-interest, including by using fear.
• Adam Smith - wrote about managing specialized labor (1700s)

The verb to manage" is derived from maneggiare, Italian meaning "to handle", especially tools, which was taken from manus, Latin for "hand"; the Frech word mesnagement led to development of "management" in the English language.

Frechman Henri Fayol was among management's earliest and most influential thinkers; he considered management as consisting of forecasting, planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, and controlling; he also espoused belief in esprit de corps.

Mary Parker Follett in the aerly 20th century said the philosophy of management is "the art of getting things done through people".

Manager' fundamental roles are to plan, staff, organize, direct or lead, control, monitor, and compare outcomes to plans or objectives.


Cog's Ladder of Group Development - Required Steps for Effective Teams

The 1972 work of George O. Charrier from Procter & Gamble identifies five predictable stages of group dynamics in the workplace:

1. Polite: In this introductory phase, light social interaction replaces any controversy or personal disclosure as the team members meet one another.
2. Why We're Here: The leader takes center stage as member ponder their roles in the group; clique take shape.
3. Power: Power and leadership moves take shape among members; some go silent to avoid the power play; this stage often jeopardizes effective solution.
4. Cooperation: The group begins to accept input of all; individual interests yield to team spirit; creativity raise.
5. Esprit de Corps: Considered among the highest pinnacles for the group, cohesion and acceptance reign - assuming the previous four stages  were met; the group's finest work may be achieved at this stage.

Sources:

• www.shrm.org
• www.managing peopleatwork.com

Posted in: Managing People