As you may recall from You are an Accidental Manager , Andy, an excellent engineer, was promoted to a managerial position when his boss left the company. Andy was promoted because he had all of the necessary technical skills, he was well liked by his other team members, and he was next in line for the promotion. Andy didn’t really want the position, but he felt the organization expected him to take it and, being a new father of twins, he could use the extra money that came with the promotion. Andy became an accidental manager.
Andy found the job of managing quite difficult. He wasn’t sure how to manage. He was more comfortable doing the technical work that he enjoyed. And he missed the friendship and camaraderie of his former teammates. Andy was never given any training on how to manage, nor was there any other manager available to him to give him advice.
Andy turned into a bad manager because he did not know how to be a successful one. Sometimes he would avoid his staff and not communicate with them. At other times he would knock the role of the manager, openly, in front of his staff. Then he would try to be his staff’s best friend. Andy was very inconsistent in his approach. After several months as manager, Andy quit and found a staff position at another company.
Andy was very happy to be back doing only the technical work again and also liked his boss and new teammates. He missed the extra money he was making as a manager but was much more content at work and at home. About six months into this new job, Andy was approached by his manager and a representative from the human resources department. They wanted Andy to become part of a management development program. The program was designed to prepare staff members for future management positions. Andy immediately replied with a firm "no" and said he was very happy doing his current job. Nevertheless, they asked Andy if he would be willing to listen to them explain the program in more detail. Andy agreed. First, they told Andy why they felt he would make a good managerial candidate. They cited specific reasons and gave many examples from Andy’s recent performance. Then they mentioned how Andy would be trained to learn management skills before he was ever promoted. They also told him that for the first few months after becoming manager, he could devote 100 percent of his time to managing and not have to worry about having his own assignments or projects to do. They explained the salary increase and the additional benefits and perks that came with the job. But they also spoke about the impact that managers could have on their team members and how team members need a manager’s guidance to help them grow and develop.
This was beginning to sound very good to Andy. He did have one major objection, however. Andy said, "If I take on this managerial role, and it sounds like you are so much more serious about it than my last employer, I will miss the technical work that I so love to do." His manager and the human resources rep understood his concern and were glad that Andy brought it up. They explained that once a manager learns how to manage well and becomes successful at managing, he will have the time to work on his own projects and keep up with the latest changes in his technical field. They did emphasize, however, that managing others was still the prime responsibility that Andy would have. They asked Andy to think about it and to speak to individuals who were currently enrolled in the management development program and to managers, like his boss, who had gone through the program. They mentioned to Andy that once he began the program he would be assigned a mentor. The mentor would be there to help him learn and practice the skills he would be learning and to give guidance and support in any areas that Andy requested.
Andy thought about their proposal and spoke to several others who were in or had graduated from the program and were now managing. They all gave him a very different perspective on managing than the one he held. He now viewed successful managing as having a vital role in the success of any department or organization. He also discussed the opportunity with his wife. They both agreed that Andy should give it a try. They strongly believed that what had happened to him at his previous company wouldn’t occur here.
Andy is currently enrolled in the management development program and is finding it useful and enjoyable. He is learning the necessary skills to move into management one day soon. He is also getting a new perspective on the company’s business and short- and long-term goals and how the work he does fits into those goals. Andy is feeling confident that what he is learning will make him a successful manager.
Andy is learning how to complete certain forms and do all other administrative work that comes with the managerial job. Most important, he is learning skills that will help him manage his team members. He now knows the difference between leading and managing and realizes that both of these are his responsibilities. He knows that the more managing and leading he is able to do, the more successful his team members will become. He knows that if his team members become successful he will also be successful and, in turn, so will the department and the organization. Andy now knows what management and leadership skills make team members successful. They are the Platinum skills discussed in this book.
It is apparent that Andy has changed his views on managing. His days of being an accidental manager are long behind him. Andy has learned the ingredients of what it takes to be a successful manager.