“I’m a manager and I’m OK…”

A couple of years ago, we were researching roles and responsibilities in organisations. It may not seem the obvious place to do this, but we were in the middle of one of our Discovery Learning programmes in Northern Kenya, when we asked the Chief Warrior, Col, what his role was and how long he would be Chief Warrior.

(This is the Warrior Chief in question: photo by Anthony Willoughby)


His reply was illuminating:

“My job is to be the first to die and to defend the tribe for as short a period as it takes me to find someone who will be a better Chief Warrior than I am.”

If you don’t see yourself as a warrior and you think that this doesn’t apply to your life, then let me share with you something I was told when I achieved my first management role in the 1980’s:

“When you become a manager, your first job is to make yourself redundant.”

The same is true today; organisations are often blocked by those who have been doing the same role for a long period of time.

We often think about our own career in isolation: “What do I want to do – what is my next move – what skills do I need to do it?” and as such, we forget that we are part of a complex system of careers, hopes and aspirations. Yet this logjam will not free itself. If we are to achieve the moves we want, we might also need to think about how we can free up a space for someone to move into, thus enabling us to move on.

Logjam

So, as an ambitious manager who wants to move on, you must work on freeing this logjam. But what does this take in the professional context? Although we are in danger of this now turning into the Lumberjack song, let’s stick with the metaphor a little longer. Careful balance is required, as you step out over the locked logs and a long lever is needed in the first instance to break the hold.

The skills, knowledge and experience that led to your appointment as a manager made you really good at your previous job, but now you need a different perspective. If you carry on doing the functional work, to the exclusion of understanding your new responsibilities for the people around you, and driving for your personal goals, rather than supporting your team to achieve theirs, you will be starting to contribute to the logjam.

What's your management style?

Consider your management style and work on engaging your people, creating a common vision for your department and a team spirit of people working together.

Look carefully at the competencies of your people and work hard on those who you think have the potential for development. When you have gained this balance and developed your own people skills, then you can insert the lever of change. Your people may find it a shock to see you doing things differently and they will experience a range of emotions but you can manage them through these transitions

Career river

Once freed and the “career river” starts flowing, it is much easier to keep it going. The lever will be needed every now and again but if you persevere, less effort will be required.

How many of us can describe our role as a manger as succinctly as it being “for as short a period as it takes me to find someone who will be a better ___ than I am?”

You will be in a much better position to get the job you want if you can prove that someone else has been developed to replace you and is ready to step up to the mark.