Essential Jobs, Skills, and Changing Roles of Managers in Today’s World: Glimpses of Select Concepts, Stories, and Cases

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Immanuel Christian Cabello 

Master in Applied Business Analytics

University of Asia and the Pacific 

Maria Carmelle Pedrosa

Master in Applied Business Analytics

University of Asia and the Pacific 

Maria Mikhaela Ponce

Master in Applied Business Analytics

University of Asia and the Pacific 

Keywords:  Organizational Design; Empathy; Employee Engagement; Coaching; 4IR; Knowledge Workers; Leadership; Management

ABSTRACT

The world has been undergoing multiple disruptions since the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) — a testament to this are the multiple disruptions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide. In this regard, the long-standing jobs, skills, and roles of managers are revisited and evaluated against the emerging needs brought about by the changing environment. This paper intends to juxtapose the traditional definitions of managers vis-a-vis the critical jobs, roles, and skills that are required of managers in the context of the world today. Based on the inductive approach using available literature, the researchers attempt to answer the key changes in the organizational environment, the transformation of the traditional roles of managers, and the essential jobs and skills they are now called to fulfill in light of the changes today.

The findings show prevalent themes and characteristics. First, the changes created by the 4IR brought about a new breed of employed called knowledge workers — highly-skilled workers who apply theoretical and practical knowledge to develop products and services. Managing and leading these types of workers in a dynamic environment require managers to be forward-thinking and agile planners while being empathic, supportive, and inclusive leaders — in essence, a revitalization of their traditional roles. Second, to complement these roles, managers are required to have strong interpersonal and communication skills to be able to collaborate and lead their people well. All things considered, managers of today are called to lead up, lead across, and lead below. With regards to the four traditional functions and skills, there is a need to improve the depth rather than the breadth of managers’ responsibilities. Going beyond cascading directives and monitoring performance versus targets, managers of today are reimagined and instilled a more creative, empathic, and inclusive role in leading the companies of tomorrow, today.