Select a particular managerial job and observe the manager in action, preferably over an extended period of time.
a. Make notes, with supporting examples, of the proportion of the manager's work and time which is spent on:
1 the carrying out of discrete tasks and the actual 'doing' of work personally; and 2 deciding what work is to be done and planning, organising, directing or controlling the work of other people.
b. Analyse particular ways in which features of the internal and external environment influence the work of the manager.
c. Suggest, with supporting reasons, the particular attributes or qualities which appear to be necessary for successful performance of the manager's job.
d. Analyse the job in terms of the activities of: (i) agenda-setting; and (ii) network-building.
e. Identify clearly those factors which determine the demands, constraints and choices of the job. Comment critically on how these factors determine the flexibility in the manager's job.
f. State clearly the conclusions you draw from your observations and compare with those of your colleagues.