One perspective that can be taken on management is an hierarchical view. Under this perspective, managers are responsible for different degrees of organizational scope, which can be visualized as having responsibility over a larger volume of processes and people. When illustrating this concept, the lower level managers are at the bottom of the chart (often shaped something like a pyramid) while the executives are at the top.
USCG Organization Chart
This is a simple example of an organizational chart, in this case the U.S. Coast Guard. This is a particularly good example of hierarchical thinking, as militarizes often function with a high degree of hierarchical authority.
Why Differentiate Management
When looking at different levels of management from a vertical frame, the value of separating management this way essentially allows different amounts of scope. The expression 'seeing the forest for the trees' is a particularly useful anecdote for the purpose of the upper managerial teams.
The objective at the top of the hierarchy is to consider mid and long term strategy for the organization at large. Middle managers usually take a more specific aspect of this larger strategy, and ensure a more detailed implementation. Managers on the front line focus almost exclusively on effective execution, and are often much more short-term oriented. This allows each class of management to narrow their focus enough for the work to actually be manageable.
Front Line Management
At the front line, managers are often highly skilled and even functional specialists. A front line manager is best positioned when they focus on controlling and directing specific employees (think in terms of supervisors, team leaders, line managers and project managers).
Skill Sets
A front line manager needs to have two distinctive skill sets: the interpersonal skills to manage people alongside the technical expertise to be among the front lines actively executing functional tasks. As a result, frontline managers are often highly valuable team members with the versatility to contribute in various ways.
Core skill sets for frontline managers can change depending on what function they are overseeing. However, on the interpersonal side they should be effective at:
- Communicating
- Observing and actively listening
- Giving and receiving feedback
- Prioritizing
- Aligning resources
- Organizing processes and tasks
Responsibilities
Responsibilities of a frontline manager will therefore come in two flavors. The first is the expertise required to do whatever it is they are managing. If we are talking about an accounting manager, they must be able to balance the books and understand enough of everyone's specific function to fill the gaps. If it is a frontline manager on an automobile manufacturing facility, the manager should be aware of how to run most of the machines and how to assess the productivity of different positions (ideally from experience).
On the managerial side, frontline managers are often tasked with hiring, assessing performance, providing feedback, delegating functional tasks, identifying gaps, maximizing efficiency, scheduling, and aligning teams. As the primary point of contact for most employees, frontline managers must be carefuly listeners capable of understanding employee needs, remove blockers and optimizing performance.