What Management Is

Dealing effectively with change, then, requires a clear understanding of what doesn’t change. To know what really is different, you must first know what stays the same and why.

As any good manager will tell you, dealing with change is one of management’s most difficult responsibilities. Competition is dynamic, even among nonprofits, and the arena in which organizations operate is constantly changing. Customers’ needs shift. New business models and new rivals appear without warning. Old technologies evolve and new ones are created. A new generation takes its place in the workforce, bringing with it new attitudes and values. But the fundamental job of management—creating value for customers by helping people to be more productive and innovative in a common effort—that hasn’t changed one bit.

A new generation takes its place in the workforce, bringing with it new attitudes and values. But the fundamental job of management—creating value for customers by helping people to be more productive and innovative in a common effort—that hasn’t changed one bit.