Priorities For Modern Managers

There's a myth about managers and what their chief priorities are. Those outside the business world usually think that management personnel in every industry are focused solely on profits. While companies do exist to earn money, it's usually the owners or founders who are more concerned about the bottom line. Operational-level managers tend to hone in on their areas of responsibility. Whether that specialty is transportation, sales, financial services, human resources, manufacturing, or something else, management workers are closely tied to their daily performance within a specific category.

In banks and brokerage firms, time-based targets are related to customer satisfaction and retention. Sales-oriented personnel aim to meet quotas and achieve unit-related goals. Whatever the industry or sector, it's important for customers and investors to understand that there's more to the day-to-day running of a company than profit-and-loss statements. Leadership-level workers have to meet benchmarks of various kinds, no matter what kind of good or service the organization provides. Here are several of the core industries that use specific managerial goals to measure the performance of team members.

Sales

Sales managers work in the field of psychology, whether they admit it or not. The priority for someone who oversees other team members who sell is a tricky one. Not only is the job about motivating new and experienced sales pros in a difficult job, but it's also about retaining the best producers with the right mix of incentives, base pay, and benefits. Selling is the closest business function to the consumer. Outside of customer service, no other functionary has as much client contact. That's why the priority for management in this field is not just units sold but also the motivation and retention of the very best employees. These managers can even provide tips for a better website, or social media strategy to your marketing teams since they have such direct contact with the target audience.

Vehicle Fleets

In the fast-paced transport sector, managerial supervisors are concerned with meeting strict compliance guidelines, operating an efficient fleet, keeping drivers safe, and making sure deliveries reach their destinations on time. One way to do that is to make certain that every vehicle operator is fully compliant with rules about ELDs (electronic logging devices). In the industry, every truck must be equipped with an ELD so that the devices can record data like the number of hours each driver works, when they take rest periods, and more. These HOS, or hours of service rules, are one of the central features of modern fleet regulations. Managers want to streamline their fleets' operations, and ELDs are a big part of that effort. A fuel management system can give insight and offer efficiency boosts for the companies that use them by closely monitoring fuel trends with the goal of reducing overall costs.

Financial Services

Financial services, like brokerage and accounting firms, employ managers who specialize in doing two things: adhering to legal parameters of the industry and overseeing the clients who are already on board. It's a job that's part legal and part customer service, which is why it calls for a high degree of skill and experience. They put customer satisfaction and problem resolution at the top of their priorities list. They also monitor current money changes that can affect the business.