This document discusses the transitions managers go through as they progress from front line managers to managers of managers to multi-discipline managers. It outlines the different skills required at each level, including managing others, assigning work, coaching teams, and taking a broader strategic view. Common pitfalls and trouble signs are provided for each level to help managers recognize issues. Recommended reading materials are included to provide further guidance on leadership transitions.

1. Leadership From Manager, to
Manager of Managers,
to Multi-Discipline
Transitions Management
{ Joshua Howard
IGDA Leadership Forum
SlideShare Version
Oct 2011

2. When developing a set of Competency Indicators about
Management, like this…
Not Okay Okay Good Better
Demonstrates Finds innovative ways to
Management style Engages and motivates
recognize and reward
can sometimes cause sincere team members.
success. Supports
Acknowledges effective
disengagement or enthusiasm behaviors or results
employees when issues
demotivation of about the team arise, turning negative
immediately following
others. results into learning
and its work. employee successes.
opportunities.
It became clear that this framework did not address how
Management changes as one moves from being a
Front Line Manager to a Manager of Managers.
There must be a tool that describes
transitions through management…
For more Competency Indicators, see
The THUD, http://thethud.wordpress.com

3. Passage
Six
Passage
Five
Passage
Four
Passage
Three
Passage
Two
Passage
One
Critical Career
Passages in a
Large Business From “The Leadership Pipeline”, by
Organization R. Charan, S. Drotter, and J. Noel

4. • Management is not one thing
• Misunderstanding leadership
transitions is one cause of poor
leadership
• Poor leadership leads to poor
business results1
If Nothing Else
1As amply demonstrated by
“The Extraordinary Leader”, by
J. Zenger & J. Folkman

5. • Manage Self to Manage Others
• Manage Others to Manager
Managers
• Manage Single Discipline to
Manage Multiple Functions
Leadership Transitions

6. Getting results
through others

7. • Individual Contributors become
managers when
• They are strong in their discipline
• They work well with others
• But many more skills are needed to
be a successful front line manager
Manage Self to Manage Others

8. • Planning Work
• Assigning Work
• Motivating the team
• Coaching the team
• Hiring
• Measuring the work of others
Front Line Manager Skillset

9. • Not making the value shift
• From tolerating management work to
truly understanding its value
• Overpowering their direct reports
• Taking direction only from
above, and not developing strong
sideways relationships
Common Pitfalls

10. • Team meetings never happen
• Team members don’t know what
their manager does
• Direct reports are not improving
• Never pushing back on
management on behalf of their
team
Trouble Signs

11. • Don’t just fix • Do teach them to
mistakes avoid the mistake
next time
• Don’t exhibit
favoritism • Do recognize
individual strengths
• Don’t ease a new
manager into the • Do insist that front
role by giving them line managers spend
a small team time managing
Do’s and Don’ts

12. Poor Front Line
Managers will
NOT be better
Manager of Managers

13. • Team gets bigger and the best front
line manager is asked to step up
• Team needs leadership
Manage Others to Manager of
Managers

14. • Assigning managerial and
leadership work
• Coaching managers
• Redeploying resources
• Measuring progress of managers
• Choosing front line managers
Manager of Managers Skillset

15. • Trying to manage individual
contributors directly, and not their
managers
• Single minded focus on getting
work done
• And not growing organizational
capability
Common Pitfalls

16. • Difficulty delegating
• Delegates, but without accountability
• Direct managers are not improving
• Managers don’t know what their
manager does
• Blames the managers reporting to them
for concerns upper management
expresses
Trouble Signs

17. • Don’t use power to • Do use power to
demean motivate
• Don’t set managers • Do bust silos
against each other
• Do ask “what are you
• Don’t ask “will you doing to ensure your
hit your date” team hits your date”
Do’s and Don’ts

18. Managing multiple disciplines is
about shifting from
Functional Expertise
toFunctional
Integration

19. • Taking responsibility for the
business as a whole
• A Manager of Managers who
demonstrates broader strategic
thinking
Manage Single Discipline to Multi
Discipline Management

20. • Planning Work • Assigning managerial and
• Assigning Work leadership work
• Motivating the team • Coaching managers
• Coaching the team • Redeploying resources
• Hiring • Measuring progress of
• Measuring the work of managers
others • Choosing front line
managers
• Coordinate functions for successful
business delivery
• Speak for all functions to upper
management
Multi Discipline Manager Skillset

21. • Over valuing the function they are
most familiar with
• Over managing the function they
are most familiar with
• Over focus on successful execution
• Instead of business results
Common Pitfalls

22. • Team meetings never happen
• Function heads don’t know what their
boss does
• No performance management is evident
• Never pushing back on management on
behalf of their team
• Needing to traffic cop cross function
work
• No clear successor
Trouble Signs

23. • Do put time
• Don’t spend all
aside for
your time on
reflection and
the now
analysis
Do’s and Don’ts

24. • Make growing through
Management a choice, not a
requirement
• Coach, emphasizing the new
skills needed
• Provide a mentor
• Remove from the role
What To Do

25. { Recommend Reading
“The Leadership Pipeline: How
{ Contact Information
• More from Joshua Howard
to Build the Leadership • thereisnothem.wordpress.com
Powered Company” • Email
• by Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter and James
Noel • mrjoshuahoward@gmail.com
• www.ram-charan.com/leadership_pipeline.htm
• All material © 2011 Joshua
“The Extraordinary Leader: Howard or their respective
Turning Good Managers into owners
Great Leaders”
• by John H. Zenger & Joseph R. Folkman
• www.zfco.com
The THUD
• thethud.wordpress.com
References