Comments on: Growing into the job http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/09/25/growing-into-the-job/ The strategic role of the senior executive Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:13:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jim Stroup http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/09/25/growing-into-the-job/comment-page-1/#comment-1355 Jim Stroup Fri, 28 Sep 2007 09:46:51 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/09/25/growing-into-the-job/#comment-1355 Michelle, Thank you for your visit and your observations. I like your points. As you say, #2 can generally be dealt with in one way or another. #1 is of key importance, and it is of at least equal importance for hiring or promoting managers/directors to find ways to determine it. #3 is in this general category, and reflects the core duty of a manager. Excellent list and comment. Thank you for it! Michelle,

Thank you for your visit and your observations. I like your points. As you say, #2 can generally be dealt with in one way or another. #1 is of key importance, and it is of at least equal importance for hiring or promoting managers/directors to find ways to determine it. #3 is in this general category, and reflects the core duty of a manager.

Excellent list and comment. Thank you for it!

]]> By: Jim Stroup http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/09/25/growing-into-the-job/comment-page-1/#comment-1354 Jim Stroup Fri, 28 Sep 2007 09:43:03 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/09/25/growing-into-the-job/#comment-1354 Wally, the irony of the post's title is expressed in your comment: "people who grow up into a job seem to do so through a series of developmental experiences." Focusing on growth as a worker and manager, and on faciliting that growth, is certainly the approach to take, rather than attempting to divine a peculiar - even nightmarish - phenomic predisposition to management success. Thank you for your insight, and, as always, for your work. Wally, the irony of the post’s title is expressed in your comment: “people who grow up into a job seem to do so through a series of developmental experiences.” Focusing on growth as a worker and manager, and on faciliting that growth, is certainly the approach to take, rather than attempting to divine a peculiar – even nightmarish – phenomic predisposition to management success.

Thank you for your insight, and, as always, for your work.

]]> By: Michele Malay Carter http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/09/25/growing-into-the-job/comment-page-1/#comment-1353 Michele Malay Carter Thu, 27 Sep 2007 21:02:30 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/09/25/growing-into-the-job/#comment-1353 When matching people to roles (any role, not just CEO), there are three areas for consideration: 1) Do they value the work enough to commit to it? If not, they will not be willing to apply their energy to it over time. 2)Do they have the necessary skilled knowledge? If not, this can be changed through training or experience. 3) Do they have raw problem solving capability at the level of the role? If they have more, they will become bored. If they have less, they will not be capable. CEO roles come in a variety of sizes. The CEO of a chain of 3 restaurants is widely different than being the CEO of Walmart. It requires a different level of problem solving capability. When matching people to roles (any role, not just CEO), there are three areas for consideration:
1) Do they value the work enough to commit to it? If not, they will not be willing to apply their energy to it over time.
2)Do they have the necessary skilled knowledge? If not, this can be changed through training or experience.
3) Do they have raw problem solving capability at the level of the role? If they have more, they will become bored. If they have less, they will not be capable.
CEO roles come in a variety of sizes. The CEO of a chain of 3 restaurants is widely different than being the CEO of Walmart. It requires a different level of problem solving capability.

]]> By: Wally Bock http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/09/25/growing-into-the-job/comment-page-1/#comment-1352 Wally Bock Thu, 27 Sep 2007 19:59:43 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/2007/09/25/growing-into-the-job/#comment-1352 I find it much more fruitful to concentrate on the developmental process rather than pre-dispositions or traits. If you believe, as I do, that leadership is an apprentice trade, then it certainly makes sense to try to enrich the on-the-job part of learning. The best way to do that seems to be through developmental assignments. In other words, people who grow up into a job seem to do so through a series of developmental experiences. Warren Bennis was on to this when he looked at the role of what he called "crucibles" in development. It's a variant on the "ten mission rule" that fighter pilots who survive at least ten missions have achieved a level of skill that increases their likelihood of winning and surviving. I find it much more fruitful to concentrate on the developmental process rather than pre-dispositions or traits. If you believe, as I do, that leadership is an apprentice trade, then it certainly makes sense to try to enrich the on-the-job part of learning. The best way to do that seems to be through developmental assignments.

In other words, people who grow up into a job seem to do so through a series of developmental experiences. Warren Bennis was on to this when he looked at the role of what he called “crucibles” in development. It’s a variant on the “ten mission rule” that fighter pilots who survive at least ten missions have achieved a level of skill that increases their likelihood of winning and surviving.

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