You say you can remember what it was like the first time you were in management, but if it's been at least three years since you've been in this situation, a lot has changed. Here's what I mean:
- Today's new managers have very little administrative support. In fact, in most cases they have none. They are required to inspire their teams while at the same time they must complete reports (charts included) for next week's senior management meeting. All the while, they are filling in for the guy who called in sick.
- They are asked to do more with less. In a number of situations, they are now doing their old job plus their new job. The lucky ones have actually received a slight bump in salary to go along with their new responsibilities.
- They've received little if any training, since training programs have gone the way of the 401(k) match.
- There is no one left to mentor them as the more senior people have been lost in the most recent round of cuts.
I could go on and on with this list, but I think you get the point. And if you don't, It's time to step out of your nice cushy office and see what is going on where the "real" people reside.
I don't believe it has to be this way. According to a new study by Leadership IQ, 46% of newly-hired employees will fail within 18 months, while only 19% will achieve unequivocal success. It's no secret that people leave their managers. So why do so many organizations do so little to help their managers succeed?
Why do you think this is so and what changes would you recommend companies implement right away to stop this trend? Please post your comments here for others to read. I'll wait a few days to add my recommendations.
Roberta
