This last chapter of The Accidental Manager looks at the impact that organizations have on creating unsuccessful managers and what they need to do to create successful ones. Then we return to the case of Andy Mercado, the story that opened the book, to see what happened to Andy when he went to work for a new organization and how he transformed into a successful manager.
Many companies and organizations are guilty of creating accidental managers. Even worse, they cause them to become unsuccessful. And even worse than that, they blame them for being unsuccessful. However, these same companies and organizations need to take a large part of the responsibility for having unsuccessful managers, accidental or not. Unsuccessful managers negatively impact their organizations’ productivity and/or profitability by:
- Lowering the morale of their team members
- Increasing team member turnover
- Increasing unproductive conflicts
- Hurting the company’s image
- Increasing stress levels, which results in a greater number of medical claims, grievances, and absences
- Minimizing concerns about quality and quantity
- Failing to develop the skills and talents of their team members
Hopefully, organizations may want to rethink their role in fostering unsuccessful managers by taking advantage of the following suggestions:
Suggestion 1: Give people the necessary skills before promoting them to a managerial job. The majority of organizations would never think of promoting individuals who do not have the necessary technical skills or background. Why not make sure they have the Platinum skills as well? As we know, the Platinum skills are developing others through training and delegation, active listening, giving and receiving feedback, and creating a motivational environment. These Platinum skills are often called the "soft" skills. Actually, they are the "hard" skills for someone who has not used them before or thought that they were important.
Organizations tend to wait until individuals have been in the management position for months or years before they provide any sort of training in Platinum skills. Organizations should not assume that just because someone is technically proficient, he would be a successful manager. There would be fewer unsuccessful managers if this "soft" type of training were provided before people are promoted into the managerial ranks. Then individuals would realize early on whether management is something they are suited for and want to pursue. Or they would feel more comfortable taking on the management role because they would be better equipped with the necessary skills and understanding.
Suggestion 2: Make managing a priority. If an organization wants to develop successful managers, it needs to have its new managers focus strictly on managing for the first several months. During this time managers can develop their Platinum skills. If new managers have technical tasks, projects, or assignments to do during this learning period, their management skills will take a backseat. Not having effective Platinum skills directly correlates with thinking and behaving like an unsuccessful manager.
Suggestion 3: Have a dual-track system. There are many superb staff members who do not want to be, or may not have the inclination or skill set to be, successful managers. That should be acceptable to the organization. These individuals are invaluable resources and would be of more value to the organization if they didn’t become managers and have to take on new sets of skills.
Many organizations now have dual-tracking systems. These systems allows technically superior staff members to get salary increases, promotions, new titles—all the advantages of what a manager would get—without having to take on any managerial responsibilities. The dual-track system allows team members to successfully contribute to company goals, keeps them productive and happy, and increases their loyalty. If they were promoted into a managerial role, the organization would lose a valuable performer and may not get a good manager.
Organizations must not assume that everyone would welcome a managerial responsibility. Individuals have different strengths, and for many, managing is not a strength and may never be one.
Suggestion 4: Promote the managerial role. Organizations need to promote the internal benefits of managing. Team members know that managers receive more money, have more decision-making power, and get many rewards and perks. These are the external benefits. The internal benefits include:
- Seeing others grow, develop, and change
- Knowing that as managers, they can make a difference in others’ lives
- Seeing their efforts materialize—through new processes and procedures, improved products and services, and meeting the needs of the community
- Enjoying the job and looking forward to coming to work each day
Internal benefits give team members additional reasons to pursue a managerial role. Organizations can promote or "sell" the internal benefits of managing by distributing articles on managing and leading, having well-known managers speak to the staff (in person or on video), publishing articles in the company’s newsletter on the importance of managing effectively, or having managers at all levels within the company testify to the internal benefits they have received from managing.
Suggestion 5: Involve senior managers in the training. One of the best ways to quickly send the message that the Platinum skills are essential and that the organization expects its managers to use them is to have senior managers speak about their importance. Another way that senior managers can be role models is to have them involved in the management-training program that the company sets up. They can open the training program, have lunch with the participants, or actually conduct part of the training.
Suggestion 6: Hold managers accountable. Once managers have been trained and provided with all opportunities to succeed in the managerial role, hold them accountable if they do not do what they were trained to. If we do not hold individuals accountable they may think that what they are currently doing is acceptable. Organizations don’t want to send that message.
An excellent strategy for holding managers accountable is for organizations to have a 360-degree feedback program. In this type of program, managers not only get evaluated by their bosses on their Platinum skills, but they also get evaluated by their direct employees, their peers, and their internal and/or external customers. If everyone is saying the same thing, the manager quickly gets the message.
Suggestion 7: Recognize successful managers. Let everyone in the organization know that the work of excellent managers is valued. Give managers recognition in the company paper or at general meetings, and have their pictures in lobby displays. Many organizations allow managers to be chosen the employees of the month.
Suggestion 8: Assess potential managers. Organizations that encourage individuals to succeed in their managerial roles often send their prospective managerial candidates to assessment centers. At these centers, prospective managers are given a battery of instruments and tests to determine if they have the inclination and ability to succeed as managers. Sending someone to an assessment center is a costly venture; on the other hand, not doing so can cost a company more in the long run in turnover costs and productivity losses.