Wagon Masters and Lesser Managers

Despite the recent emphasis on managerial effectiveness and how it can increase productivity, businesses continue to promote people into administrative ranks with apparently little consideration for: 1. their ability to effectively manage others, 2. their willingness to include subordinates in decis...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Harvard business review 1988-03, Vol.66 (2), p.84
Main Author: Ninomiya, J S
Format: Magazinearticle
Language:English
Subjects:
Characteristics
Decision making
Effectiveness
Employee promotions
Experts
Management
Management styles
Perquisites
Skills
Trends
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Despite the recent emphasis on managerial effectiveness and how it can increase productivity, businesses continue to promote people into administrative ranks with apparently little consideration for: 1. their ability to effectively manage others, 2. their willingness to include subordinates in decision making, or 3. their suitability as teachers and role models for a coming generation of supervisors. The most prevalent of several inadequate managerial styles is the "Godfather." The Godfather demands complete control of his organization and total loyalty from his employees, and his goals are often self-serving. Effective managers, such as the wagon masters of the early West, embody a number of important characteristics, including: 1. decisiveness, 2. ability to listen and communicate well, 3. willingness to use teamwork in decision making, and 4. good leadership abilities. Three rather unconventional steps can help a company hire better managers: 1. Abandon excessive perquisites. 2. Ignore narrow expertise. 3. Get references from candidates' old subordinates.
ISSN:0017-8012