We explain what a general manager is in the business field, his functions, responsibilities and the requirements for the position.
What is a general manager?
The term general manager, general director or even CEO is used (from English Chief Executive Officer) to refer to one of the highest ranks of executives in the hierarchical structure of the business world. He is the person most responsible for the administration of a company or organization.
A general manager represents the top of the business pyramid, on whom the greatest share of responsibilities falls and is, in addition, the maximum spokesperson for the company. He is an authority figure in the business field; Strategic leadership and decision making are expected from him high, to achieve compliance with organizational objectives.
Above them is usually only the company's board of directors, made up of its shareholders, that is, its owners themselves. The general manager can be fired or hired by them, since He is the highest ranking employee of all.
In many organizations, general managers are difficult to identify if they have more general or horizontal organizational methods, but there is always someone in charge of said function. In the case of public organizations, this figure can be called in other ways, such as president either director.
General Manager Functions
The functions and responsibilities that a CEO performs can be summarized as:
- Planning, organization and supervision general of the activities carried out by the company.
- Resource management of the entity and coordination between its component parts.
- Strategic driving of the organization and serve as both a leader internally to the company and a spokesperson externally.
- Critical decision making especially when it comes to central or vital issues for the organization.
- Motivate, supervise and mediate among the work team.
Requirements for the position of general manager
The requirements for a general manager are different, depending on the company profile and its particular history. It must be considered a vital position, which implies high levels of confidentiality and commitment.
Therefore, it is not usual for general managers to be hired from a pool of unknown candidates. On the contrary, usually come from the company's own staff or they are chosen by the board of directors from among the individuals who have their complete trust and agreement.
However, a suitable general manager is expected to possess:
- Business vision and medium and long-term strategic planning capacity.
- Leadership ability charisma, motivation and a high commitment to work.
- Very high command of oral and written expression which allows you to be a spokesperson for the organization when necessary.
- Business instincts decision-making ability and a lot of courage.
- Commitment to the company honesty and a professional journey that inspires the work team.
What is a manager?
A manager is an individual in charge of leading an organization or area specific to it (sales manager, finance manager, insurance manager, etc.). In other words, he is in charge of materializing your objectives, of ensuring that they are met in the best way.
Therefore, managers are the identifiable head of a work team: They are the ones who will be responsible for its successes and errors, and they are the executive link of the team with the other parts of the organization. Managers are individuals of authority, with a high level of commitment to the organization and who, therefore, occupy the top of the hierarchical pyramid in their area.
The term manager comes from Latin gerens either managerswhich means “one who carries out something” or “one who manages something.” The general manager of a company would be, in some way, the manager of managers.
References
- “General Manager” on Wikipedia.
- “Manager” on Wikipedia.
- “Job description of the general manager” in Gestiopolis.
- “What are the tasks of a CEO?” at European Postgraduate Institute.
- “Manager” in the Etymological Dictionary of Chile.
