In simple terms, we can usually divide our careers into two parts. Before we managed people and after.
The first part of our career is usually spent building and honing our skills. We may start off as generalists, but gradually as we get recognised and rewarded for what we do well, we focus on our strengths. Perhaps without realising it, we become an “expert” in a particular area.
After a time, if we do this well enough we usually get given people to manage.
Promotion and progress are linked to managing others
Without knowing it, we’ve arrived at the Promotion Precipice. It’s a place of great opportunity, but also one of great unknown and potential risk.
Why?
Because in the eighteen years I’ve been coaching leaders and their teams, I’ve met only a handful of people who received any form of training BEFORE they were given people to manage.
Yet everything has fundamentally changed
From now on a manager cannot just focus on developing skills related to their task – the WHAT. Now they have to focus on the HOW, on building the skills of others.
Of course our Before Management career has involved people skills, but it’s different. Let’s take the example of an orchestra.
Before management you played the trumpet. You needed to be good at playing the trumpet, but also mindful of how you kept time and tune with the rest of the brass section. You also had to pay attention to what the rest of the orchestra were doing.
You keep your place by being a good solo contributor and by fitting in with the rest of the team.
Management requires you put the trumpet down and move to conducting the orchestra.
Once you’re a manager you’re responsible for co-ordinating multiple relationships – down, across and up the organisation. In fact, getting things done requires that you increasingly look up; that you develop a bigger picture view.
Without training or coaching new management can feel precarious
Moyra Mackie
Moyra Mackie helps leaders and teams to work with courage, compassion and creativity. She is an executive coach and consultant and the founder of Mackie Consulting.
Follow Me:
