The interesting thing about management is that pretty much everyone
thinks they could do it and do it better. It’s not rocket science.
That is why so many people think they understand it. But it’s not easy
which is why so many don’t progress. There are lots of things to
learn. The moment you stop learning you get left behind because of the
pace of change. I started in management 30 years ago and it has
changed a lot. Spans of responsibility are much broader, budgets much
tighter, judgments on performance much harsher, the time give to
achieve success much shorter.
What I have learnt is the most effective managers are the ones who
can adapt to these changes, who are prepared to work outside their
comfort zones. The best managers get the best out of the people they
manage. The most successful managers are the most resilient, often
what sets them apart is their response to failure. Non of which is
down to technical knowledge which makes the job different to being a
rocket scientist. Those who are good at management know the business
they’re in and what they don’t know they quickly find out. They
understand how their organisation works, which levers to pull and
which people to influence.
Almost anyone can be a manager but not so many are good at management.
Blair McPherson former Director, author and blogger www.blairmcpherson.co.uk