Why most managers aren’t up for the job
Why most managers aren’t up for the job
In my last article I talked about the importance of properly preparing new managers and executives for their roles. Executive onboarding can help your business ensure that new leaders integrate successfully into your organization.
But what happens when you have the wrong leader in there to begin with? No amount of onboarding is going to make that person into an effective manager.
Getting the right person in the right position is a must. It takes a solid talent development plan and a new way of thinking about what a “mission critical” position really means.
When bad jobs happen to good people
If you’re a business owner, try answering this question: What does it mean when your company is experiencing lots of turnover, a sharp drop in performance or revenues, people calling in sick all the time, and a general sense of malaise and crankiness?
Although you may attribute these problems to the employees themselves, or a few bad apples among them, the reality is that all of these symptoms indicate serious trouble at the top. Without the right kind of leadership, individual business units and the company as a whole will suffer.
But the blame cannot be placed entirely on the manager. Poor managerial performance is often a result of a poor selection process. I call it bad jobs happening to good people. Well, it’s not so much that the job itself is bad, but that it is the wrong one for that particular person.
So, how do you avoid placing a square peg in a round hole? By planning and preparing.
Making sure you have the right fit
My mantra, which my coaching clients have heard at nauseum, is that in business it all comes down to two things: people and process. With the right processes, you can get the right people in the right places to ensure your business functions at optimal levels.
So what does that mean in terms of getting people into jobs that suit them? Let’s explore that point further by comparing the way things are usually done to the way things should be done.
Exhibit A. A company spends a lot of time and resources identifying its “high potential” employees. Once identified, those employees are fast-tracked for leadership positions. If the company feels it doesn’t have enough of these top players, it sets out to recruit more. The bottom line – lots of talent, but little strategic thinking about how to best use that talent.
Exhibit B. A company defines its overall business strategy and strategic capabilities. It then identifies the positions needed to ensure successful implementation of that strategy. Once these positions are defined, the people that best suit them are placed there.
Which option do you think was recognized as the stronger one in the Harvard Business Review? Yes, it is Exhibit B. The authors of the December 2005 article called “’ Players’ or ‘A Positions’?: The Strategic Logic of Workforce Management” summarize their approach nicely:
“Businesses need to adopt a portfolio approach to workforce management, placing the very best employees in strategic positions, good performers in support positions, and eliminating nonperforming employees and jobs that don’t add value.”
Sounds simple, right? Then why aren’t more companies doing it? There probably is no easy answer to that question, but whatever the reason, businesses that do not do this strategic HR work will suffer in the long run.
Boosting your TQ (Talent Quotient)
Talent quotient is not a new term, but I like to use it to help business owners think about talent development as a carefully balanced equation – one wrong calculation and the whole thing is out of whack.
Once you have identified the positions that are mission critical, you need to groom your top employees for those positions using a process called leadership development or talent management.
Leadership development is a long-term process. The key word here is “process”. It cannot be done on the fly or sporadically. An effective leadership development plan requires buy-in from senior managers and employees. It needs to focus on maximizing the skills an employee has and ensuring they are honed and made stronger.
Why is leadership development a good business strategy? Here are a few reasons:
• When you have an effective leadership development program, you promote the people who have the talent and skill to help realize your organizational goals.
• Because they know their own career goals are being addressed, good people are more likely to stay.
• With more talented and dedicated people on board, you will, to use a sports analogy, deepen your bench. That is, you’ll have a stable roster of talent to draw upon when your business faces new challenges.
• When you get good people into jobs that allow them to use their strongest skills, morale improves. Improved morale at the top trickles down and boosts the spirit and performance of all employees.
So, how do you get started?
Now that you’re convinced of the value of leadership development, you are probably anxious to get started. There are some excellent resources out there and you may want to start by reading Jim Collins book Good To Great. You may also want to consider the assistance of a leadership coach trained in strategic planning and the use of assessment tools that can identify leadership potential among your employees.
Why most managers arent up for the job - To learn more about this author, visit Cassandra L. Gierden's Website.
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Why most managers aren’t up for the job
In my last article I talked about the importance of properly preparing new managers and executives for their roles. Executive onboarding can help your business ensure that new leaders integrate successfully into your organization.
But what happens when you have the wrong leader in there to begin with? No amount of onboarding is going to make that person into an effective manager.
Getting the right person in the right position is a must. It takes a solid talent development plan and a new way of thinking about what a “mission critical” position really means.
When bad jobs happen to good people
If you’re a business owner, try answering this question: What does it mean when your company is experiencing lots of turnover, a sharp drop in performance or revenues, people calling in sick all the time, and a general sense of malaise and crankiness?
Although you may attribute these problems to the employees themselves, or a few bad apples among them, the reality is that all of these symptoms indicate serious trouble at the top. Without the right kind of leadership, individual business units and the company as a whole will suffer.
But the blame cannot be placed entirely on the manager. Poor managerial performance is often a result of a poor selection process. I call it bad jobs happening to good people. Well, it’s not so much that the job itself is bad, but that it is the wrong one for that particular person.
So, how do you avoid placing a square peg in a round hole? By planning and preparing.
Making sure you have the right fit
My mantra, which my coaching clients have heard at nauseum, is that in business it all comes down to two things: people and process. With the right processes, you can get the right people in the right places to ensure your business functions at optimal levels.
So what does that mean in terms of getting people into jobs that suit them? Let’s explore that point further by comparing the way things are usually done to the way things should be done.
Exhibit A. A company spends a lot of time and resources identifying its “high potential” employees. Once identified, those employees are fast-tracked for leadership positions. If the company feels it doesn’t have enough of these top players, it sets out to recruit more. The bottom line – lots of talent, but little strategic thinking about how to best use that talent.
Exhibit B. A company defines its overall business strategy and strategic capabilities. It then identifies the positions needed to ensure successful implementation of that strategy. Once these positions are defined, the people that best suit them are placed there.
Which option do you think was recognized as the stronger one in the Harvard Business Review? Yes, it is Exhibit B. The authors of the December 2005 article called “’ Players’ or ‘A Positions’?: The Strategic Logic of Workforce Management” summarize their approach nicely:
“Businesses need to adopt a portfolio approach to workforce management, placing the very best employees in strategic positions, good performers in support positions, and eliminating nonperforming employees and jobs that don’t add value.”
Sounds simple, right? Then why aren’t more companies doing it? There probably is no easy answer to that question, but whatever the reason, businesses that do not do this strategic HR work will suffer in the long run.
Boosting your TQ (Talent Quotient)
Talent quotient is not a new term, but I like to use it to help business owners think about talent development as a carefully balanced equation – one wrong calculation and the whole thing is out of whack.
Once you have identified the positions that are mission critical, you need to groom your top employees for those positions using a process called leadership development or talent management.
Leadership development is a long-term process. The key word here is “process”. It cannot be done on the fly or sporadically. An effective leadership development plan requires buy-in from senior managers and employees. It needs to focus on maximizing the skills an employee has and ensuring they are honed and made stronger.
Why is leadership development a good business strategy? Here are a few reasons:
• When you have an effective leadership development program, you promote the people who have the talent and skill to help realize your organizational goals.
• Because they know their own career goals are being addressed, good people are more likely to stay.
• With more talented and dedicated people on board, you will, to use a sports analogy, deepen your bench. That is, you’ll have a stable roster of talent to draw upon when your business faces new challenges.
• When you get good people into jobs that allow them to use their strongest skills, morale improves. Improved morale at the top trickles down and boosts the spirit and performance of all employees.
So, how do you get started?
Now that you’re convinced of the value of leadership development, you are probably anxious to get started. There are some excellent resources out there and you may want to start by reading Jim Collins book Good To Great. You may also want to consider the assistance of a leadership coach trained in strategic planning and the use of assessment tools that can identify leadership potential among your employees.
Why most managers arent up for the job - To learn more about this author, visit Cassandra L. Gierden's Website.
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