Revenge of the Nerds vs. Peter Principle 2

[JonnySouthport]

The Peter Principle exists when someone is thrust into a position which requires skills the candidate does not have and is thus doomed to failure. It is a well known phenomena at all levels of traditional management, and one that seems to have adapted itself to the new digital age, if not effortlessly, then with a bang.

Unfortunately, during this priceless period of time that we nerds can truly win back our stolen lunch money and interest from the meat-headed, swirly giving, babe getting jocks, therein lies one problem: Eventually, one of us will be in a position of leadership, either voluntarily or otherwise. For those of us that have been totally techno-focused since the time of conception, this blessing can be a curse.

For example, let's take the subject of micromanagement. Naturally, us techies, by nature, are and must be very detail oriented. Thus, when all of a sudden we are made managers, we tend to be micromanagers for the same reason. But swirly's aside, many of the best athletes from our youth gone by are now highly effective managers because they know how play on and/or lead a team to greatness. More importantly, they know not to micromanage. I know because I used to work for one.

So, with olive branch in hand to all the good athletes & leaders I've playfully dissed here, I would like to ask: What are the best ways to make the transition from being detail oriented to being an effective manager, sans micro?

Ubi o ubi est mayem sub ubi?

 

[goBoating]

Good Morning Johnny,
' Seems to me that there are really just a few characteristics that make a manager good a what he or she does.

One is respect for the people with whom you work. If you work with good people this is easy. Assume they are professionals and treat them as such, even when they fail to do the same. Always stay on the behavioral high road. If they are a bunch of jerks, you are in the wrong place. There are plenty of jobs available at good companies. If you are responsible for human resources issues, you will be privy to more information about people's private lives, family situations, chronically sick children, etc... Never discuss such private matters with peers or others unless there is some REAL professional reason for doing so.

Another is good professional communication with your co-workers (peers, subordinates and supervisors. That means clear respectful communication about job expectations, job performance ( good and bad). Yelling, chastising, or other UN-professional treatment just makes people mad. You might get short term results. You will certainly get long term bad attitudes if you subordinate feel like they are not respected and are being mistreated. Clear effective communication is essential. If you are going to be supervising people who used to be peers, be aware that some of them may really treat you differently ..... like you've gone over to the dark side (management). They might be friendly, but not as casual as they used to be.

A third is developing some good project management skills. These things can be learned. There are some really good, quick reads on the subject. Know what needs to be accomplished and develop a realistice plan for doing it. If this is a concern, find someone in your organization that is good at it, and ask for some mentoring or support. If this is not a concern, look again. It should be.

A fourth is realizing that you are responsible for making your section profitable and effective. Make sure you know what your section is supposed to achieve and work with your supervisor to make sure that you are on tract to accomplish that end. There is a real tension between doing what is good for the company and doing what is nice for an employee. The 'company' is all of those other people. Don't sacrifice the health of the company for a single person. If performance issues arise, deal with them professionally, directly, and in real-time....don't let them age and don't let an employee flounder longer than it should take for that person to pick up the required skill.

Get used to the idea that you will not know all of the answers/details. You must delegate responsibility to your subordinates, work with and support them, and have confidence that they will do a good job.

Finally, your job should not be to MAKE your people do what the company needs. Instead, you should view yourself as an advocate for your people who works to remove impediments to their personal and professional progress. The more successfull they are, they more successful you are and so is your organization.

Keep an open mind. Maintain some genuine humility.

humbly submitted for your consideration...... ' just one guy's perspectives....




keep the rudder amid ship and beware the odd typo