Selecting a "Good" Manager

In today's West (10 Feb 2010) Daniel Kehoe writes an opinion piece on selection of a manager. He points out that a person who is "technically competent" will not necessarily make a good manager.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

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Kehoe writes that, "In today's workplace, managers need different sets of skills." You can forget that bit about today's workplace -- that's just a filler, like "Umm" or "Err". "Management" and "technical" skills have always been different.

But that's a minor point... You probably already know that a good worker will not necessarily make a good manager. How, though, does Kehoe identify a good manager? He asks questions... Such as:

• What do people want from a manager?

Okay, fair enough. Listen to the answer. Listen also to -- as Kehoe suggests -- the way the person responds to the question.

• What are the things that motivate people to excel?

Another good question for a potential manager. In order to motivate people, the manager must understand the basic motivation drivers. Although there will be some excellent motivators who cannot clearly state the reasons for their success; they are just naturally good at it. Those people may stumble and hesitate... perhaps you can ask a better, less theoretical question about their approach to getting people to work effectively.

That minor difficulty now gets worse.

• What do you strive to concentrate on when you are engaged in one-on-one communication?

Well hang on, what is this interview all about? Here we are, having a one-on-one conversation -- and you have to ask me where I focus my efforts? Isn't it obvious?! Or rather, isn't the result obvious? Whatever I am doing -- in this one-on-one interview for a management position -- whatever I am doing, it should be having a positive effect. If not, I am failing the interview test. If you can't tell how well I am doing then you fail the interview test.

Can you please explain what you are doing?

Kehoe's questions are good, but not as straight out questions. I've been a university lecturer; I know that there are people who can say what they should be doing -- but they just cannot (or do not) do it. Understanding the theory is essential. But...

Understanding the theory of management is essential. Explaining the theory is a bonus -- if you are a lecturer. Explaining the theory -- explaining how they act in order to be a good manager -- may be beyond a good manager. Application of the theory is the essential.

I once attended a presentation by a manager who was "an excellent communicator". He had obviously been trained by experts, he practiced all the techniques...

He covered all of the audience: talking to this quarter of the room , then to that quarter. By the end of the talk, he had spoken directly in the direction of each and every individual in the audience. He had spoken and smiled at several members of the audience, even to a few at the back of the room.

This expert speaker had begun with a joke. He had spoken clearly, with a mixture of serious, meaningful, heavy and light. There was a sprinkling of humour, an occasional, personal anecdote.

He introduced his topic, followed a clear path, summarised and concluded. This was a professional talk, by a professional speaker.

At the end of his talk, the audience reached collectively for their brown paper bags.

This senior manager was an "expert" speaker. He knew -- and used -- all the best tricks and techniques. He was so obviously false that the audience was appalled.

And the moral is...

Sure, you can ask all the right questions. And your potential manager may provide all the correct answers. But please, if you really do want a "good" manager, find out what they really do and feel and think.

You can ask all the questions. You can listen to all the answers. But the correct answer may be unspoken.

As Kehoe says, "The way the person responds to these questions should give some insight..."

It's not the answers that matter. It's what you learn, from listening to the answers. If you simply ask those questions and write down the answers -- you may only learn that a trained parrot makes the best manager.

Oh well. I guess that's a change from the usual trained monkeys.

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