Gaining Self Knowledge - the Core of Becoming a Manager

Gaining Self Knowledge-The core of becoming a manager

· The experience of becoming a manger is compared with becoming a father or mother , in the sense that one is supposed to know everything about managing subordinates.

· As individual contributor –star producer (innovative and aggressive broker)

· Got management assignment as promotion (reward) for competence and achievement as individual contributor.

· As subordinates , one thinks that one has some insights into what effective manager will do, and how to fix things.

· First pain of becoming manager- loosing your security blanket of technical competence.

· It is a process of transformation which occurs over a long period of time.

· This study concerns with first line management, from where frequent reports of incompetence ,burnout and excessive attrition comes.It is important as human and financial costs are staggering for both organization as well as person.

· What do new managers find most challenging?

· How do they learn to be managers?

· On what individual and organizational resources they rely?

· This study is conducted on 19 managers in fortune 500 companies through their first year.

· These companies were leaders in their respective domain but were undergoing change in response to and increasingly competitive and volatile environment. So, managerial roles were becoming more complex and demanding.

· 10 branch managers in securities firm & 9 sales managers in a computer company.

· Before the promotion : all were individual contributors and their contribution depended upon personal expertise , experience and action.

· The primary responsibility of a manager includes supervising others rather than directly performing technical tasks.

· In first line management , managers often perform technical work. The distinction between individual contributor and first line manger is often blurred. The formal authority over others, attendant rights and duties differentiates them.

· These first line managers were responsible for day to day management and supervision of field sales representatives and were accountable for achieving specific sales and marketing goals.

· Job descriptions of the first line managers:- a) Developing the sales organizations b) creating a healthy work environment c) establishing standards of performance d) evaluating, rewarding and developing subordinates e)Acting as a liaison between their unit and others in the company f)interpreting and enforcing