The Manager’s Job: Folklore and Fact by Henry Mintzberg

Folklore and Facts About Managerial Work

• The classical view says that the manager organizes, coordinates, plans, and controls; the facts suggest otherwise.

Myth 1: The Manager is a Reflective, Systematic Planner

• Fact: Managers work at an unrelenting pace, their activities are brief, varied, discontinuous, action-oriented, and they dislike reflective activities.

• Evidence:

  • Half of activities engaged in by chief executives lasted less than nine minutes; only 10% exceeded one hour. This indicates a highly fragmented work pattern.

  • Foremen averaged 583 activities per eight-hour shift (1 every 48 seconds). This highlights the rapid-fire nature of managerial tasks.

  • Managers worked without interruption for a half hour or more only about once every two days, suggesting constant disruptions are the norm.

  • 93% of verbal contacts were arranged ad hoc, emphasizing the reactive nature of much communication.

  • Only 1% of executives’ time was spent in open-ended observational tours, showing a preference for direct involvement over passive observation.

  • Only 1 out of 368 verbal contacts was unrelated to a specific issue and could be called general planning, reinforcing the idea that planning is integrated into action rather than a separate activity.

• Managers respond to pressures, appreciating the opportunity cost of their own time and continually aware of their obligations. This contributes to a bias for action.

• Planning is often done implicitly amidst daily actions, not in abstract processes. Mental models and ingrained routines guide much of the decision-making.

• Plans exist in their heads as flexible, specific intentions, allowing for adaptation to changing circumstances.

• The job does not breed reflective planners; managers prefer live to delayed action, which is crucial for maintaining operational momentum.

Myth 2: The Effective Manager Has No Regular Duties to Perform

• Fact: Managerial work involves regular duties, including ritual, ceremony, negotiations, and processing soft information linking the organization with its environment.

• Presidents of small companies engaged in routine activities due to lack of staff specialists, indicating that even high-level managers handle routine tasks when necessary.

• Field sales managers and chief executives see important customers to keep them, underscoring the importance