subject: Why Your Best Employees Don't Deserve To Be Managers [print this page] Why Your Best Employees Don't Deserve To Be Managers
You'd assume we would grasp by now -- just as a result of someone is astounding at doing something... does not mean they're equally as good at managing others to do that very same thing. Once all, the skill set needed to follow a particular profession -- whether it's plumbing, hairdressing, engineering, selling, teaching, accounting or no matter -- is entirely totally different from the skill set required to manage people. Nonetheless organizations persist in promoting "doers" into management roles. These promotions come back with better-sounding titles, a lot of cash, more perquisites, a lot of status and... more responsibility. And that they involve doing less -- maybe none -- of the "technical" work that the manager did previously, and more (or all) of the work of managing others. In one sense it's logical -- a manager who used to try and do the work himself or herself ought to understand what his staff would like to try to to the work now. And yes, there are a number of managers who are simply as good, if not better, at managing others as they are performing the particular work. Of course, many managers prefer to manage rather than do. However, as indicated above, there is no reason to assume that a smart doer will build automatically create a sensible manager! Currently, this is often not to say that a pyramidal organizational structure -- where the numerous are managed by the few -- is essentially a bad thing. As a delegation or management structure it works fine for several companies. However when obtaining more pay and different rewards is contingent on turning into a manager, it's inevitable that folks will try to urge, and can get, promoted into management roles -- regardless of whether they have the talent or passion to manage. The result? Plenty of sad and ineffective managers. Masses of annoyed individuals working for ineffective managers. And an organization that's not functioning at its optimum. Doesn't it make additional sense for individuals to try and do the work they enjoy and are smart at? To reward them for obtaining better and higher at that work, rather than solely paying them additional if they step "up" to management... where they'll generate less price for the organization? Isn't a high salesman higher off staying in the field selling... than floundering in the workplace, struggling to arrange and inspire his staff? Doesn't a terrific teacher do additional for her students, herself and the varsity by staying within the classroom, than spending her time doing paperwork and trying to manage different lecturers? Fortunately, some organizations have seen the light. They are doing tie bigger rewards to bigger responsibilities and greater performances at intervals the identical role. After all, some companies, like investment banks, are renown for paying traders and sales individuals a lot of, much additional than the people who manage them, simply because, in the eyes of the bank, the traders and sales people generate a lot of value. Of course, as a "manager's advocate" I might never recommend that managers should not be compensated well, especially given the challenges of managing people. But to be as productive and profitable as attainable, organizations ought to tie bigger pay and rewards to bigger responsibilities and performances, no matter the role. That method, they'll have people doing and being their best. So if you're responsible for "promoting" people, I urge you to think twice before promoting your best people into management roles... and out of the roles they love and do well at. Instead, contemplate whether you'll enlarge, or offer them additional challenges in, their current role? Or, if they've performed exceptionally well, will you give them a bonus or another special reward to recognize their efforts? Of course, if you're employed for somebody else, you may be limited in terms of what you'll be able to do... but if that is the case, and you're committed to staying along with your current employer... it might be time to start a revolution!
