Adapted from the upcoming 'The Wall Street Journal Guide to Management' by Alan Murray, published by Harper Business.
What are the common mistakes of new managers? Good management has been thoroughly studied and is widely understood, but it is still more honored in its breach than in its practice. Most new managers, in particular, get it wrong.
Harvard Business School Professor Linda Hill studies those who become managers for the first time, and writes perceptively about some of the common myths and misperceptions that lead to mistakes in their early days. Among them:
Myth 1: Managers wield significant authority.
New managers were often standouts in their previous jobs, and as such, enjoyed a fair degree of independence and autonomy of action. With a new job and title, they expect to feel more authority.
Well, surprise! Most new managers report they are shocked by how constrained they feel.
'They are enmeshed in a web of relationships,' writes Ms. Hill in a 2007 Harvard Business article called 'Becoming the Boss.' 'Not only with subordinates, but also with bosses, peers, and others inside and outside the organization, all of whom make relentless and often conflicting demands on them. The resulting daily routine is pressured, hectic and fragmented.'
She quotes one new leader saying: 'Becoming a manager is not about becoming a boss. It's about becoming a hostage.'
Until new managers give up on the myth of authority, and recognize the need to negotiate their way through a web of interdependencies, they are likely to face frustration and failure.
Myth 2: Authority flows from the manager's position.
New managers frequently think that what authority they have is conferred by their title. But in fact, writes Ms. Hill, 'new managers soon learn that when direct reports are told to do something, they don't necessarily respond. In fact, the more talented the subordinate, the less likely she is to simply follow orders.'
Over time, good managers find they must earn their subordinates' respect and trust in order to exercise significant authority. They need to demonstrate to subordinates their own character, their competence, and their ability to get things done before those subordinates are likely to follow their lead.
Myth 3: Managers must control their direct reports.
New managers, insecure in their roles, often seek absolute compliance to orders from their subordinates, particularly in their early days.
But what they learn over time is that 'compliance' is not the same as 'commitment.'
'If people aren't committed, they don't take the initiative,' writes Ms. Hill. 'And if subordinates aren't taking the initiative, the manager can't delegate effectively.
The challenge for managers is to nurture a strong sense of common commitment to shared goals rather than one of blind allegiance to the managers' dictates.
Myth 4: Managers must focus on forging good individual relationships.
Ms. Hill says managers need to focus not on friendship, but on building a team.
'When new managers focus solely on one-on-one relationships, they neglect a fundamental aspect of effective leadership: harness the collective power of the group to improve individual performance and commitment,' she writes. 'By shaping team culture the group's norms and values a leader can unleash the problem-solving prowess of the diverse talents that make up the team.'
Myth 5: The manager's job is to ensure things run smoothly.
Keeping an operation running smoothly is a difficult task, and can absorb all of a new manager's time and energy. But if that's all the manager does, writes Ms. Hill, he or she is making a big mistake.
'New managers also need to realize they are responsible for recommending and initiating changes that will enhance their groups' performance,' she writes. 'Often and it comes as a surprise to most this means challenging organizational processes or structures that exist above and beyond their area of formal authority. Only when they understand this part of the job will they begin to address seriously their leadership responsibilities.'
本文節(jié)選自即將由Harper Business出版的The Wall Street Journal Guide to Management,作者是Alan Murray。
新任經(jīng)理經(jīng)常犯的錯(cuò)誤是什么?人們對(duì)于什么是好的管理進(jìn)行了徹底的研究,也有著普遍的了解,然而更多地卻是違背它,而非付諸實(shí)踐。大多數(shù)新任經(jīng)理尤其會(huì)產(chǎn)生誤解。
哈佛商學(xué)院(Harvard Business School)教授琳達(dá)•希爾(Linda Hill)對(duì)頭一次當(dāng)經(jīng)理的人進(jìn)行了研究,并富有洞見(jiàn)地寫(xiě)下了會(huì)導(dǎo)致人們?cè)谏氈醴稿e(cuò)的常見(jiàn)錯(cuò)誤觀念和誤解。其中包括:
錯(cuò)誤觀念1:經(jīng)理?yè)碛袠O大的權(quán)力。
新擢升的經(jīng)理通常在自己原先的崗位上都干得很出色,其本身行事就有相當(dāng)大的獨(dú)立性和自主權(quán)。有了新的職位和頭銜之后,他們以為會(huì)享受更大的權(quán)力。
結(jié)果卻出人意表。大多數(shù)新任經(jīng)理報(bào)告說(shuō),他們對(duì)自己受到的限制震驚不已。
希爾在2007年《哈佛商業(yè)評(píng)論》(Harvard Business)上發(fā)表題為《如何當(dāng)老板》(Becoming the Boss)的文章,文中說(shuō),新任經(jīng)理陷入了一個(gè)關(guān)系網(wǎng),不光是跟下屬的關(guān)系,還有跟老板、同級(jí),以及公司內(nèi)外的其他人的關(guān)系,這些人都會(huì)對(duì)新任經(jīng)理提出嚴(yán)酷的要求,有時(shí)還會(huì)互相矛盾。結(jié)果造成日常工作壓力很大、十分忙亂,而且沒(méi)有章法。
她引用了一位新任經(jīng)理的說(shuō)法:成為經(jīng)理跟當(dāng)老板不一樣,當(dāng)經(jīng)理就好像成了人質(zhì)。
新任經(jīng)理只有拋開(kāi)對(duì)權(quán)力的錯(cuò)誤觀念,認(rèn)識(shí)到需要跟方方面面的人協(xié)商,否則就可能面臨挫折和失敗。
錯(cuò)誤觀念2:權(quán)力來(lái)自經(jīng)理這個(gè)位置。
新任經(jīng)理常常認(rèn)為手中的權(quán)力是自己的頭銜帶來(lái)的。但實(shí)際上,希爾寫(xiě)道,新任經(jīng)理很快就會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn),要求下屬做事時(shí),對(duì)方不一定會(huì)響應(yīng)。事實(shí)上,下屬越有才能,就越不太可能完全服從命令。
隨著時(shí)間的推移,好經(jīng)理發(fā)現(xiàn),為了行使重要的職權(quán),就必須要贏得下屬的尊敬和信任。他們需要向下屬展示自己的品格、勝任工作的能力和解決問(wèn)題的能力,這樣下屬才可能服從他們的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)。
錯(cuò)誤觀念3:經(jīng)理必須控制下屬。
新任經(jīng)理們對(duì)自己的角色還沒(méi)有安全感,他們常常會(huì)要求下屬絕對(duì)服從命令,特別是在上任伊始。
不過(guò),他們會(huì)慢慢地學(xué)到一點(diǎn),那就是服從命令不等于有責(zé)任感。
希爾寫(xiě)道,如果人們沒(méi)有責(zé)任感,他們就不會(huì)積極主動(dòng);如果下屬不積極不主動(dòng),經(jīng)理就無(wú)法有效地把工作委派給下屬。
經(jīng)理們面臨的挑戰(zhàn)是培養(yǎng)下屬們實(shí)現(xiàn)共同目標(biāo)的強(qiáng)烈共同責(zé)任感,而不是盲目服從指揮。
錯(cuò)誤觀念4:經(jīng)理們必須注重培養(yǎng)良好的個(gè)人關(guān)系。
希爾說(shuō),經(jīng)理們不應(yīng)把精力放在建立友誼上,而是要?jiǎng)?chuàng)建團(tuán)隊(duì)。
她寫(xiě)道,當(dāng)新上任的經(jīng)理只關(guān)心一對(duì)一的關(guān)系時(shí),他們就會(huì)忽視有效領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的一個(gè)基本方面,即利用團(tuán)隊(duì)的集體力量來(lái)提高個(gè)人業(yè)績(jī)和責(zé)任感;通過(guò)影響團(tuán)隊(duì)文化(團(tuán)隊(duì)的準(zhǔn)則和價(jià)值),領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者可以激發(fā)團(tuán)隊(duì)中各類人才解決問(wèn)題的能力。
錯(cuò)誤觀念5:經(jīng)理的工作是確保事情順利進(jìn)行。
保持業(yè)務(wù)順利進(jìn)行是項(xiàng)艱巨的任務(wù),可能會(huì)耗費(fèi)一位新任經(jīng)理的全部時(shí)間和精力。不過(guò)希爾寫(xiě)道,如果經(jīng)理做的只有這些,那他就大錯(cuò)特錯(cuò)了。
她寫(xiě)道,新任經(jīng)理還需要意識(shí)到他們有責(zé)任提出并發(fā)起能改善團(tuán)隊(duì)業(yè)績(jī)的各種改變;常常,也是出乎大部分人意料的是,這意味著挑戰(zhàn)他們正式職權(quán)范圍以外的組織程序或是組織結(jié)構(gòu)。只有當(dāng)他們明白這點(diǎn)的時(shí)候,才能開(kāi)始嚴(yán)肅地對(duì)待自己的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)責(zé)任。