Henry Mintzberg, best known for his work The Nature of Managerial Work published in 1973 argued that there are ten essential managerial tasks, categorized into three; interpersonal, informational, and decisional roles. The interpersonal category features tasks such as a figurehead, leader, and liaison. Figurehead, states that managers are expected to serve as symbolic leaders and represent their organizations various social roles. Liaison is where managers facilitate communication and exchange of information. Being a leader means that managers are responsible for motivating, providing direction, encouraging their subordinates.

The second category of Mintzberg’s essential managerial tasks is informational roles. One of the informational roles is being a spokesperson. This is where managers link an organization with stakeholders and regularly communicates the objectives, policies performance. The other task of a manager in this category is being a disseminator, which involves ensuring that information is shared appropriately within the organization. It ensures that relevant data gets to the hand of those who need it. The third task of a manager in this category is that of a monitor where managers gather information to identify the various factors that may affect the performance and delivery of the organization.

The third category of Mintzberg’s essential managerial tasks is decisional roles. One of the managerial tasks in this category is being an entrepreneur. As entrepreneurs, managers initiate and oversee projects and identify areas of improvement. The other essential task of managers is handling disturbance and disruptions in the organization and restoring sanity to the operations of the organization. The other managerial task is allocating resources, including finances, time, and personnel required to achieve the organizational goals. Lastly, Mintzberg viewed managers as negotiators, which means that they engage other individuals and groups to resolve disputes and seal deals that reflect the organization’s mission and vision.