For decades we've promoted functional experts into management positions... and that's a problem.

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the manager dilemma.
Upscaling the organization for the VUCA world: building a stronger team of managers.

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We have a problem, folks.

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For decades now
we’ve “promoted” our
functional experts into
management
positions.

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Because what else do
we do with them?
(They can’t stay where they are forever, right?)
Our standard model…

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So why don’t we realize it
really sucks when it
happens at work?
But, folks. Technical
expertise does not a
good people manager
make.

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We’ve ended up with
too many poorly
equipped managers.

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And this has real impact…
1) Too many managers leads to a complex corporate structure, not agility.
2) Many of your managers aren’t really that happy.
3) One word: micromanagement.
4) You’ve taken your best people away from doing what they’re good at.
5) Your managers aren’t prepared for the complexity of today’s world.
6) HR is left taking up the people-managing slack..
7) The employee experience isn’t great, and might even suck.

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So, how do we fix this?

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1) Build the right models.
So, you promote too many managers and pretty soon you’ve not only got lots of managers, you’ve
got lots of layers of managers. The result is a chain of command that is nowhere near agility or
responsiveness.
Tip: Many people associate status with having direct reports. If you develop non-management functional leader
roles to promote and keep your best, you’ll also need to build a culture that celebratesthe importanceand
prestigeof those non-management positions.
Instead, consider flattening your
structure and widening your
spans of control. Not only will
you reap the benefits of making it
easier to get work done, you’ll
also give greater autonomy to
your people (that’s what we call
the win-win).
More importantly, build in the
ability to promote functional
experts into meaningful paths:
advancement without people
oversight.

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2) Get real with the role.
Here’s a crazy idea: what if we redefined the role of manager as someone who manages people?
What if it meant focusing on developing one’s direct reports, and didn’t mean spending 95% of
one’s time doing one’s own work? Imagine a world where your managers don’t feel the stress of
trying to get their own work load done while squeezing in the management “stuff” in their spare
time.
Tip: Fewer managers means you can afford more people doing the “productionwork”… so those people who are
managers won’t need to do as much of it to meet demand.
Start by deciding what the role of
manager will really mean in your
organization. What are the
expectations? What will “great” look
like? How much time are they expected
to be face-to-face with their team?
If you’ve successfully flattened your
organization, you should be able to give
those managers the necessary
bandwidth to act as mentor, coach,
guide, and career navigator.

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3) Pick the right people.
You shouldn’t be surprised that we suggest that you think carefully about who you make a
manager. Not everyone has the basic skillset – or, frankly, the desire – to work with, lead, and
coach their people. Heck, some people (and they could be your best functional experts) don’t
want to deal with people at all. We’ve all seen those movies with the genius scientist who has
zero people skills, right?
Instead, look for people with the
expertise, capabilities, and interest in
working with and inspiring people.
Remember, they may not be the best at
their function: their strength may be in
areas related to leadership and
development.
Tip: We’re not saying you should only promote people to management positions who already have great people
management skills. But do look for people who have the passion to manage, and the desire to learn those skills.

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4) Ready those you’ve selected.
This is important: even those people rock-stars will need development. One of the biggest failings of
our current system is that we’ve historically spent very little time, money, or thought on how to make
our managers actually great at managing our people.
The thing is, today’s business managers need to be skilled at handling the challenges of our fast-
moving modern economy. It’s the critical issue of our era.
Tip: Wondering what sort of skills we’re talking about? Things like coaching employees for top performance,
rewardingequitably, communicatingfor impact, retaining key employees, and leading diverse organizations.
Build a comprehensive leadership
capability program for your
organization. Make it a priority, apply
it consistently, and give your people
the time to take advantage of what
you offer. Provide your managers with
the knowledge, skills, attributes, and
habits they’ll need to be effective.

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Got it? Let’s review.
1) Our system tends to promote too many people for the wrong reasons.
2) This means we have too many managers
3) … and managers that aren’t up to the people-management task
4) This is bad.
5) To fix it, think about:
 flattening your structure
 redefining the manager role to mean real people managers, not functional experts
 picking people who have those natural talents already – or want to have them
 readying ‘em up good.
Your people will thank you.

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your people = your success.
PeopleFirm is a consulting firm dedicated to achieving the
ultimate win-win: inspired people driving inspired performance.
We focus on effective tools, measurable outcomes, real results,
and getting your people out of their seats and engaged in your
company’s growth.
www.peoplefirm.com
thanks for reading.