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This question is about employer.
Individual contributor vs. manager
The difference between an individual contributor and a manager is that an individual contributor is a professional who independently contributes to a company's mission, objectives, and goals without having any management responsibilities, while a manager is a professional in charge of a specific team or unit at a company.
Individual contributors are able to focus on honing their professional skills, talents, and expertise in certain areas because they do not have to concern themselves with the abilities of those working with them or around them. Managers often are the ones assigning specific tasks to individual contributors.
A manager is a professional that is in charge of other employees, these might be teams of employees, a unit of employees, or even a department of employees. The main goal of a manager is to properly prioritize and delegate tasks amongst team members in a way that ensures the success of specific goals. A manager is responsible for team performance.
Key Takeaways:
| Individual contributor | Manager |
|---|---|
| An individual contributor is a professional who independently contributes to a company's mission, objectives, and goals without having any management responsibilities. | A manager is a professional in charge of a specific team or unit at a company. |
| Individual contributors normally have to report directly to higher roles within an organization, but they are not responsible for the management of anyone but themselves. | Managers often are the ones assigning specific tasks to individual contributors. |
| Individual contributors can at times be a part of teams, or manage specific processes or projects, but are not tasked with managing the actual team participating in the project or tas | Managers are normally the head employee in charge of specific teams, their duties might include the organization of the team, and tasks that they must complete on their own. |
| Individual contributors are often mistaken for managers because they do have management duties, however, these responsibilities never include the management of employees. | Managers are not often mistaken for individual contributors because managers are in charge of other employees, not just themselves. |
| Some useful skills for individual contributors to have include time management skills, collaboration skills, the ability to work independently and autonomously, organizing skills, and communication skills. | Good skills for managers to have include communication skills, conflict resolution skills, organization, time management, the ability to delegate and prioritize tasks, and problem-solving abilities. |
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