Manager or boss are both positions of leadership in a company. Managers typically play a more strategic role in a company, making decisions, setting goals, and overseeing the success of a team. At the same time, bosses are responsible for administering tasks and ensuring they are done properly and on time.
In this article, we’ll explore the roles of managers or bosses and the main differences between these roles.
What Is A Manager?
A manager is a person who has a level of control within an organization. They can have duties such as creating schedules, organizing finances, or training new employees. They may also be involved in risk management, conflict resolution, and brand management. Also, a manager can be seen as a person who oversees the affairs of a company and makes essential decisions that affect all areas of business operations.
They choose a specific amount they need to spend on resources and allocate them to each department so that they can reach their goals.
What Is A Boss?
A boss is simply the person above you in the company hierarchy. Also, a boss can be defined as a person who is supervising you. On the other hand, this person may also be the manager.
In addition, your boss is the person who is responsible for evaluating your work and giving approval for certain decisions. Depending on your placement within the organization, the boss may have a different title such as Director or Vice-President.
What Are The Responsibilities Of A Manager?
The duties of a manager in a company include as following:
1. Creating performance goals and setting deadlines that match the company’s plans.
2. Overseeing workflow to assist employees in knowing their job responsibilities and delegated duties.
3. Coaching employees by giving them constructive feedback to help them perform certain tasks.
4. Addressing inquiries and complaints from customers.
5. Keeping track of employee’s schedules and maintaining personnel records.
6. Gathering and submitting performance reports to the department manager.
7. Choosing employees who are eligible for promotions and bonuses.
8. Helping to train new employees while adhering to company policies.
What Are The Differences Between Manager and Boss?
The main differences between managers and supervisors are their level of authority, responsibilities, objectives, and pay. Typically, managers are higher-level, higher-paid leaders in an organization responsible for strategic planning, goal setting, and team management. Supervisors, on the other hand, are closer to the day-to-day tasks of their teams to ensure the manager’s goals are achieved.
Below, are the main differences between manager and boss in each of these four categories:
Level of authority
A manager is a higher-ranking employee within a company. A supervisor reports to the manager about developments related to products, services, and employees working under their direction. A company might have several supervisors reporting to a manager depending on its size, and they can promote an employee to become a supervisor if they excel in their current role.
A manager reports to a department’s director, vice president, or board of directors. For example, the director of a department within a grocery store might speak with the manager to get an update on the status of the operation during a snowstorm.
Responsibilities
boss work on the day-to-day tasks to advance the production of their employees and position the department for success. bosses understands the duties of the employees they work with, the amount of work they’ve completed, and the impact their performance has on the organization. Managers might instruct supervisors to give a performance review to each employee once they have given feedback on their performance.
Managers meet with the boss to discuss the general performance of the department and its employees. They conduct the performance reviews of supervisors who work for them. They expect supervisors to highlight the department’s status by meeting their goals and note problems that may alter the department’s performance. Managers attend meetings for their company’s senior leadership team and oversee the budget.
Objectives
Managers and bosses have different goals they need to meet. A boss’s goals have an internal focus, meaning they coordinate with employees within their department to make sure they’re finishing their present tasks. The boss facilitates the training of employees, so they know how to perform their job correctly and decrease the amount of time spent on tasks. For example, a supervisor working in an IT department can work with an employee on an issue with their computer. Once the supervisor fixes their computer, they ask them what tasks they’re working on and note shortcuts to help them complete their projects quickly.
A manager’s goals have an external focus because they’re accountable for the company’s performance outside of one department. An external focus allows them to understand the progress of their department without getting involved with the completion of individual tasks. They set aside time to design a strategy to achieve long-term profits and sustainability for the company. Managers overview the benefits and risks of the strategy before sending it to their senior management team for approval.
Frequently asked questions
The following are the frequent questions asked.
Can managers and supervisors have different leadership styles?
Managers and bosses may use different leadership styles based on their personalities, experiences, and the culture of their organization. Some managers may adopt a more participative and inclusive leadership style, while others might have a more authoritative or directive approach. Similarly, supervisors can exhibit various leadership styles depending on the needs of their teams.
Are there differences in the level of accountability between managers and bosses?
Managers and Bosses may have different levels of accountability within an organization. For instance, managers might oversee all performance and outcomes of multiple departments while supervisors often have a narrower scope of accountability, like day-to-day operations and their immediate subordinates. While bosses or supervisors are still accountable for their team’s performance, a manager has a wider scope of responsibilities that can extend across different teams.
Do managers and bosses handle conflict resolution differently?
Managers and bosses may focus their efforts on different areas of conflict resolution. Managers often handle conflicts at a higher level, such as resolving interdepartmental or inter-team conflicts, addressing issues between managers, or making decisions in more complex situations. Boss often resolve conflicts that arise within their immediate teams, mediating disputes, facilitating communication, and promoting resolution.