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PreparingForManagementRoleSee also ModelsForManagers I haven't done a scientific survey on this; my intuitive sense is that most software/test managers end up there with little or no training in the skills that managers need to do the job. I'm starting this page to noodle on questions like these: How do you prepare people on your team to move into management roles? What sort of training did you receive? What sort of training would you have liked to receive (but didn't get)? I was talking to my spousal unit the other day about how he is preparing people on his staff to move into management roles. (He's in the natural resouces world, so we're talking people with science and engineering backgrounds.) 1) He and most of his staff have attended group facilitation training. Different team members take turns facilitating meetings where they need to generate options, agree on solutions or lay out a plan for getting work done. 2) Team leads are responsible for managing the budgets realted to their programs and projects. They also build parts of the overall budget for the section each year. 3) Most of the team members attend public planning meetings as technical experts. New people start out going along as observers, then take on some non-contoversial meeting on their own. As they gain skill and confidence, they take on more challenging public meetings. Does this sound like what happens in software organizations? What other sorts of things can managers do to help people prepare for management roles? EstherDerby 030202 [Executive Summary from a paper this quarter in Economics of Software Development If anyone would like the full 14 page paper, drop me a line: ] BobLee 03/02/02 An under-prepared or unmotivated manager can increase the cost, reduce the quality, and extend the schedule for a software project. This paper explores the preparation for a management candidate who already possesses expert software development skills. It proposes a buffer of knowledge for a [new] software manager, omitting those skills already part of an expert developer's repertoire. Transferring non-software managers into software management is beyond the scope of this paper. Managing software projects requires a different portfolio of skills and focus than performing technical tasks on projects does. Contrary to popular belief, managers of "knowledge workers" are not "supervisors". The skills that make great individual contributors on projects are not the skills that prepare one for project management. Successful software managers don't do the project technical tasks, but enable the project team to do them. Where do most software managers come from? Mostly from former top individual contributors. Promoting the best technician to project manager without management training or management apprenticeship creates several potential problems for the organization. The candidate for promotion into software management should have at least two options: to remain and grow as an expert individual contributor, or to receive preparation in the practices of software management. Preparation can be by apprenticeship, in-house training, external training, or mentoring as appropriate. "Experience is one thing you can't get for nothing." Bob: Your five potential problems hit the big ones! Like Esther's husband, the people I've talked with at client sites are mostly schooled in budget matters and in "meetings" and faciliation. I guess they figure people have to run status meetings and be able to use an agenda. I never was given any training. When I asked why I was selected for promotion to manager, I kinda got the feeling that my bosses thought I had some "talent" for it. I suspect this had to do with people skills at the time. However, there was a WHOLE lot more I needed to learn! What were the expectations that you (or others you know) were given (if any) when handed your new managment position? Any unusal types of training? (I sent myself to PSL...and look where I am now :)... - BeckyWinant 3-3-02 Becky -- Creating and managing a budget and running effective meetings are both useful skills for managers. And they are things that you can learn by doing without actually being in a management role. You're right there's lots more... and there are lots of little things that people can practice before they go live in a management role. My guess is that when new managers aren't overwhelmed with learning the all the mechanics along with the people stuff, they might be better able to attend to the people part. (As long as they recognize that running the budget isn't all it takes to be a manager.) EstherDerby 03/03/02 I was fortunate enough to be working at Aetna Life & Casualty from 1973-1986 when they had an extremely enlightened Chairman, John Filer. Under his hand, Aetna developed and delivered a sizable amount of training both technical and managerial. Everyone went. It was customary for tech leads [like me] to get exposure to supervisory skills training. They also invested in a real dual path career ladder. You could go management or you could go technical to near VP level of salary. I chose to follow the technical route - it was easier for me, I felt my contributions paid off well, and I could see that I lacked a lot of the people skills I saw in the best managers around me. In 1984-85 I was given a small unit, but no choice in the "promotion" to manager. Not all of the managers "bought into" the dual path idea -- "GOOD" == "MANAGEMENT" in their minds. I left to resume the tech track in a software start-up for 9 1/2 years. In the years at the software house, I saw lots of examples of average to poor management and occaissional excellence. I decided that the leverage of a manager is too much to leave in average or poor hands, and decided to develop my deficiency areas to be better than a middling manager. I read a lot of non-technical books, joined Toastmasters, took classes in topics like Influence, cultivated networks in-house. While it's not easy, I usually succeed in managing projects from below or from the side when not in charge. I try to use enlightened self-interest with the managers I work with. I've believed since 1975 or so that there's too much subject matter for one person to be fully current as a techie and also be fully competent as a manager at the same time. Raising 2 kids, coaching little league, teaching kids in scouts, in school have all developed my interests in the high-leverage available in management, and grew my confidence organically. Perhaps the strongest learning experience came from learning to ride horses - the illusion of control can't withstand riding a horse. I started horses at age 45, and they're always teaching me some kind of humility! BobLee 3/3/02 Like Bob, I took up a hobby (although much earlier, a mere 42) that pretty much removes the illusion of control. In my case it was white water kayaking. I find this thread interesting since I'm giving a presentation in October at the ISA (www.isa.org) international symposia on "Models for New Managers". So, what models do you wish you'd known about when YOU first became a manager? See ModelsForManagers DonGray 030302 I was rereading this conversaton and thinking about how people get picked to be promoted to management in my old company. One characteristic that I think was key in selecting people for that role was leadership, and perhaps a willingness to take calculated risks. Now, these two things didn't necessarily mean the person was going to be a good manager, but they were qualities that fit the ideals of that corporate culture. When a person on a team began to question the direction of a strategy and could argue their case, or suggest alternative ideas that were well thought-out or innovative, they would be 'untethered' in ways that those that followed the status quo would not be. If they picked up the ball and ran with it, you would likely see them recommended for team lead, project lead and management roles in the future. As a means of preparing them for that role, whoever saw that leadership behavior in them in the first place often would then mentor and coach them along. There were, of course, the "Managerial" programs, which tended to be focused on budget and business scenario simulations, but they didn't really mean anything. Some great managers never were selected to go to these. Some poor managers had gone. If your natural behaviors align with the corporate culture, then I think you are more likely to be promoted and prepared to do well. So, is management capability context or cultural specific? Have any of you been an effective manager in one culture, moved, and faltered in another culture? MarieBenesh 5/16/2002 I don't know that I was ever an effective manager, but I've certainly seen the effect you describe, in many people and in many cultures. It seems there's a higher level of management ability - the ability to recognize the situation and adjust your style to it. Some people never achieve this level, but if they stay in the same culture (which probably includes not rising too high even in the same company), they remain good managers and never know that their success is completely conditioned on the cultural stability. - JerryWeinberg 2002.05.16 Maybe, then, one way to prepare yourself for a management role is to study the culture you are in. Step back from it a bit and see if there are qualities or behaviors that are common to many managers or to the people who get promoted before they get promoted. Then see if those are things that ring true with your values. Sometimes it's good not to get promoted if the required behaviors are something you cannot or will not do. In that case, if you really want to be a manager, you may want to find a new company with a culture that more clearly aligns with your inner landscape.-MarieBenesh 5/17/2002 Some of the managers I really liked working for may not have been good administrators from their managers viewpoint. I know one who was widely loved, but was not good at turning in reporings functions. In terms of motivating people and getting top performance from a staff he excelled. Esther mentions budgeting and running meetings. Bob mentions parenting activities and horses - not easy for those without kids. Kids and horses are expensive and time-consuming lessons! Studying culture seems cool. Where do you start? And, Marie mentions a biggie - knowing that you and your organization align in terms of values. I wonder how "management courses" cover these sorts of topics? - BeckyWinant 2002.06.11 Becky -- I want to clarify again what I was saying above. I must not have been very clear. Perhaps I'll go back and edit. Budgeting and running meetings are skills that can taught and practiced before a person moves into a management role. I didn't mean to imply that budgeting and running meetings are the heart of the management role. The big challenge is shifting from task management to people management. And I think that calls for a shift in internal landscape more than learning a particular skills based activity. Trouble is shifts in the internal landscape usually come from experience. Johanna and I have been working on ways to prepare managers using simulations and strech modules to make little management experiences. EstherDerby 061202 Don, you mentioned at the top of this thread that you thought many managers did not receive training in management. However, many companies think they are providing training to new managers! You folks in organizations: are you receiving training in anything these days :-), and if you're managers, what kinds of training are you receiving? -- JohannaRothman 2002.06.12 JR I'm taking a class in Design & Delivery of Training this quarter. The first interesting note was: "Is training what's needed?" In the cost-effective means of achieving performance, training is to be applied when knowledge gaps would prevent practice with feedback. In their view, the effective game is "just enough instruction" to allow safe practice & feedback. My takeaway from that: [self] assessment, recommended theory sources, and monitored safe practice & feedback. So the game is where can the practice be safe [to self & others] and where can feedback be available & acceptable. An interesting case study we did in Theory of Organizational Development was examining a Kodak organizational intervention. Kodak audited over 800 supervisors and managers and reclassed about 30% back to individual contributors. They also established a management apprenticeship school open to anyone to try out management skills. The school is open - self selection - rather than "supervisor's recommendation" because they were trying to halt the implicit "old boy network" problem. Looked pretty interesting. See for article. BobLee 2002.06.12 Esther - I realize you weren't suggesting that budgeting and running meetings were core skills. I was just listing what I saw as a diversity of skills for managers. <small> oh, thank you for telling me. I feel better now :-) ed </small> Your idea of doing strech modules and simulations is great. So much is situational and once in an actual situation (one with consequences), it may difficult to run through one's options and choose. Years ago when I was coaching a technical staff on modeling, I began a managers session to let them air their concerns and questions about what was changing for them and the work their staff was doing. I allowed only managers in the sessions and I was surprised and gratified by the amount of fruitful discussions we had. What about management or leadership retrospectives? Sessions to let managers and even team leads discuss their particular experiences and share lessons and stories? These could be done monthly. Has anyone ever done such a session? -BeckyWinant 2002.06.14 When I was with Aetna in 1985, they were considering me for management [their choice] and put me through a pretty good 5-day Effective Management program. That introduced me to much of the material and gave me some clues to what I didn't know. What I didn't get was a "trial run" after class to see if I wanted to cut over to those skills and behaviors. I was pretty uncomfortable about my people skills, and chose to return to technical. I believe that an experiential "trial run" apprenticeship after exposure to body of knowledge would help people self-select. That could prevent some of the worst fiascos I've seen. --BobLee 2002.06.14 I recently read Linda Hill's study of new managers (Becoming a Manager, Penguin Books, 1993). The concluding chapters of the book talk about more effective ways to develop managers. Coaching, relfection and apprenticeship are all mentioned. And she states that training should be in the form of a practicum -- supervised practical application of previously studied theory. (Johanna and I designed and picked the name for our workshop "Management Practicum" before I read the book. It's a nice bit of synchronicity, though!) I have done project retrospectives with management teams, and I believe they can be powerful learning experiences. I think holding a time for periodic reflection is a powerful learning tool for anyone, and might be especially helpful for new managers. One of the things Hill emphasizes in her book is that the process of learning to fill the role of manager is a long one. Her study followed people for a year, and for many, it was a very hard year. Coaching and support could make the process less painful, and possibly shorten it. EstherDerby 061502 Becky asked a while back about studying culture...how do you start. I like to see if I can write down the unwritten rules in an organization...the things you know but nobody tells you when you are new. Example: You can complain in a meeting as long as you have a potential solution. Another: Only men with manufacturing backgrounds get to be the CIO. Or this: Most managers don't want to know the real delivery date, they just want you to hit the one they gave you. Another: Wearing 'feminine' (things with lace on them, pastel dresses, etc) clothes means you aren't serious, (women only on this one...men have a different problem with feminine clothes). You could have a little section in your daytimer (some companies have a daytimer culture, serious people have a daytimer), to write them down as you notice them. Then think about which one's you can live with. Some will be ok rules for you, some will make you sick. As for aligning values, how does the "company" treat people. If asked to do the things you see higher level managers, VP's etc.. do, could you? Are there gray areas between what you think is the truth and others think is the truth? Try to figure this one out by seeing if what "they" tell the customer is what you would tell them. MarieBenesh 2002.06.17 Marie, you bring up interesting points. One thought that I got out of First Break All the Rules is that most of the "company culture" that impacts you comes from your immediate manager. How much of your fit with the company depends on who is running interference for you? How much does the rest of the company impact? If your favored manager leaves, what is your game plan? --BobLee 2002.06.17 I agree that you can experience a "culture within a culture" in your immediate workgroup. The positive side of that is being insulated from an umbrella culture that you don't fit well with by a manager who 'breaks all the rules.' The negative impact can be when you have a manager who has slipped through the cracks of a humane culture (for a while) and makes your life miserable. Most people get a chance to interact with other work groups, and to check out how things are elsewhere in the company. I've learned a lot from bad managers...like how not to act! But you have to look at the overall culture and see if you have a path that let's you maneuver around the pockets of malevolence. If not, then run! MarieBenesh 2002-06-18 Question: is it malevolence or ignorance? What about the "Helpful theory" that they're really trying to be helpful as well [or poorly] as they know how? I think Jerry's "Think of 3 solutions, first" applies here:
Do you try to change your organization or change your organization? (Appologies to Martin Fowler) --BobLee 2002.06.18 I think I mean malevolance; game playing, personal agendas, etc. Ignorance can be addressed by speaking up - "Would you be willing to..." change a behavior when working with me, try a different approach, etc. I don't understand the difference you implied with the two type faces in change your organization. Could you elaborate? MarieBenesh 2002-06-19 Ah! Martin Fowler used this statement, "change your organization or change your organization" at an Agile Manifesto event. Meaning: plan to alter your organization or plan to leave it for a different one. Sorry, but I love plays on words at any opportunity. I don't suffer from insanity... I enjoy every minute of it! --BobLee 2002.06.19 Ahh, of course, I get it now that you've told me <grin>. I've tried to change organizations from the inside, and been fairly successful at it, and then at some point, I seem to have to change organizations. Either I get tired, or I get bored, or frustrated or something. Lately, that just means telling myself to change (harder than changing an organization, I think). But the caution is that you might have to be willing to take a stand that could put you job on the line. So, make changes that are at or below the level of risk you are willing to take. Lot's can be done at the level of not getting fired. I've never been fired, but I've been willing to be. Now that I'm consulting, I try to help organizations who want to change themselves. That means some person(s) wants to initiate change and I help them develop and approach, and implement. MarieBenesh 2002.06.19 Jumping in right into the muddy middle..... I like Esther's relating of Linda Hill's "...the process of learning to fill the role of manager is a long one." My experience is that management is often a lonely road. Managers probably have as many changes under them (different teams) as they have over them (different managers). The stakes and dynamics change every time. You can't rest on the success of whatever went before. Reacting to one of Marie's cultural rule examples: "You can complain in a meeting as long as you have a potential solution.". As a manager (and business owner) I grew to hate complaints without solutions because I heard too many which were posed with the expectation that I would solve them. I tested for the difference (between a complaint with a recommmendation and just a complaint) by asking for opinions or ideas about recomendations. What I heard in response told me a lot about the functioning of the group. (And, did I love those problem solvers! Just the clear intent to find an answer held those people beloved to me!) - BeckyWinant 2002.06.24 Becky, there seems to be such a fine line between "shooting the messenger" and having to listen to complaints from people without potential solutions. How do you keep an open forum for warnings - or do subordinates always need to try one thing first before alerting? [I have no practical experience in these trade-offs lately.] --BobLee 2002.06.24 I find a direct approach works very well (surprise!). For example, I simply ask, "Do you have something in mind that you think would solve this problem? If so, that might help me to understand where you think the problem lies." If they have nothing in mind, I ask, "Were you thinking of someone in particular who might solve this problem?" Sometimes that gets me an astonished look and an "aha" - that there might be someone other than me who could solve it. Maybe even they, themselves. - JerryWeinberg 2002.06.24 I agree with Jerry's direct questions. I also have asked the problem poser - what do you think causes the problem? Do you have any ideas about how we could deal with this? Is this a big problem? What else can you tell me about this? People present a problem for different reasons: to get it fixed, to see if anyone else thinks its a problem, to get attention, to get permission to solve it, to get help in solving it. It can be a trap for new managers to try to solve all the problems. That will get old fast, because some problems needn't be solved, some problems aren't problems, some problems are someone elses problem (where people want to drag you in to triangulate), and some problems are real and need attention. Having a way to sort them all out is important. It is equally important to have an open door so that you can hear the warnings and keep communication open. Is this like being a parent? - BeckyWinant 2002.06.25 Yes, it's just like being a parent. It's also what we have to do explicitly in our Special Education classroom. With 4 adults and 6-7 kids, we have to work at it to keep them from triangulating us. Our best response to triangulators is: one warning - "We talk to each other, and what one of us says, goes. If we find out you're trying to play us against each other, we've got a lot of work that you'll be doing instead of free time!" At times, it's very hard to stay consistent, but if you let it slide, it's awful. --BobLee 2002.06.25
Updated: Tuesday, June 25, 2002 |
