Don't think of management just as positions in your company; management is vitally important work that needs to be done in every business, every day

'The Manager' is that part of you that creates order, does the planning, organizes the work, makes the checklists, serves as a mentor and achieves results through others. The Manager's outlook should be realistic and pragmatic, qualities essential in business. We find that a solid management perspective is commonly missing in small businesses today. To understand why, you must first understand the nature of true Managerial work.

True Managerial Work

At E-Myth, we categorize tasks as being done in one of three perspectives; Entrepreneurial, Managerial or Technical. True Managerial work bridges the space between the entrepreneur's vision for the company and the daily technical efforts moving the business toward that vision. Effective managers, those who can motivate employees to reach their full potential while working on beneficial tasks, are instrumental in building turnkey, systems-dependent businesses.

The vision of the Entrepreneur is the foundation for the systems-development and people-development strategies that carry the business forward. The Technician's perspective in us has the task of rolling up our sleeves and getting the job done. Employees can seem very busy but without understanding the results they are accountable for, and how it links to the purpose of the business - all that busy work won't go toward building anything great.

Your Internal Manager

Your internal Manager is the conductor directing the orchestra of musicians who perform great symphonies and masterpieces.

The musicians look to the conductor to cue the musical entrances, to guide the dynamics of the group and to keep the rhythm. The conductor works to balance the group and direct individual participation in the performance, based on his or her interpretation of the music. It is much the same in business.

The Manager interprets the needs of the company based on the entrepreneurial Strategic Objective (or business vision) and creates the systems essential to the growth and development of the company. The development of the systems enables each employee to understand the value of their contribution to the whole. The Manager creates the way to establish consistent, predictable results. But without direction, training and mentoring, a system will not produce a masterpiece.

Just as musicians look to the conductor to keep the group intact and direct the performance, so do employees look to great leaders and entrepreneurial Managers to keep the objectives and promise of the company clear and on track.

It is your responsibility then, as one with the Managerial perspective, to harness the vision and create clear actions, strategies and systems that will carry-out the promise, fulfill the business objective and create a high performance environment in which all employees thrive.

As a business owner and leader, how do you bring out your best internal Manager? What systems have you created to support the managerial work of creating systems and developing people in your business? Do you have any advice for others? Tell us about it.

And if this concept strikes a chord, consider joining us this October for the two-day Management Intensive Seminar.