Here's an interview with strategy and management consultant, and regular Management Sushi guest blogger Gina Abudi. In this blog, Management Sushi interviews Gina about the sensitive question of management suitability. Not everyone who claims to want to be a manager has the necessary suitability and aptitude for it. Gina talks about this in more detail below and in her associated article [click here for Gina's recent article on this topic].
As a quick management aside, check out this video interview which I came across in Wall Street Journal's Management section with 3M CEO George Buckley. He describes what has influenced his management style and thinking - including Michelangelo, one of his great management heroes!
Check out also a very interesting article in the March 2010 Harvard Business Review magazine. Nancy M.Carter and Christine Silva discuss the very hot top of gender disparity in the workplace in their article ‘Women in Management : Delusions of Progress'. Disappointingly, the article tells us that new research demonstrates that we are a lot further from achieving gender parity than we thought! In fact, it says, that their research by Catalyst among the top cadre of elite MBA programmes - the supposed high potentials set to attain the giddying heights of future management roles - shows that "women continue to lag men at every single career stage, right from their first professional jobs". In short, it says, any reports of progress in this area are at best "overstated" and at worst "plain wrong"!
Anyway, onto less depressing topics and the interview with Gina Abudi ....
Management Sushi asks Gina Abudi ..... Is Every Employee suited for a Management Role?
Q: How do you know when employees are ready to be moved into a management role?
Response: There is no set timeframe - it is different for every employee. For some, it is quite apparent. These individuals take on leadership roles even when they are not formally in such a position. They have a "take charge" attitude - but do so while building consensus and working within a team environment. They are problem solvers and also have a "can do" attitude. These are employees you need to start thinking about providing them more responsibilities now. Is there a junior management role available? Offer them the opportunity.
For other employees, they may tell you they are ready to move into a management role and may have even applied for internal openings, but you know they are just not ready. They will be at some point, but they aren't there yet. Maybe they aren't polished enough or are missing some key skills and knowledge for such a management role. Work with them to groom them for a management role within the organization.
Then, of course, you will have some employees who may not ever be ready and frankly are not interested in such a role. These individuals, however, may be great contributors to the organization - always willing to pitch in and help out - doesn't matter what the job is. Provide them additional responsibilities to help them continue to grow and develop; they don't need to manage others to be successful.
Q: What is the best way to prepare someone for a future management role?
Response: Provide them more challenges across a variety of functions within the organization to help them develop a more complete understanding of the organization and how all the pieces fit. If your organization has a mentoring program, provide them a mentor. Determine their strengths and development areas and help them create a learning path to improve their current skills and gain new knowledge and skills. Make sure the learning path includes a variety of options - not just courses but online options, reading, case studies and action planning. Put them in charge of a project so they can get experience leading others. You should definitely have a formal program in place for individuals who are "high potentials" within the organization.
Q: What would you recommend be done for an employee who is great as an individual contributor but fails in a management role?
Response: That's OK. Not everyone has to be in a management role. Just because someone can't move up the ladder doesn't mean they can't be a valuable contributor to the organization over the long term. Continue to challenge them. Help them fine tune their current skills and find out what else they would like to learn. Challenge them with additional projects that require them to learn new skills and work with others within the organization.
Gina Abudi has a broad range of consulting experience in strategic planning, business impact and ROI, project management, general management/leadership and needs assessments. She works with clients to develop strategic learning and development programs for all levels of employees, including high potentials and executives.
Gina has been honoured as one of the Power 50 from PMI® - one of the 50 most influential executives in project management, working to move the profession forward. She serves on the PM Summit/BA World Advisory Board and is Chair of the Leadership Committee for PMI®'s Global Corporate Council.
Gina has presented at various conferences on Business Impact and ROI Analysis of Project Management Training Programs, Developing a Project Management Best Practice, and Assessing Project Management Skills.
Gina received her MBA from Simmons Graduate School of Management. She blogs at: http://www.ginaabudi.com/.
