Aspiring managers do managerial work: new approaches for identifying and developing new technical managers

Abstract

Often, when technical organizations (e.g., R&D, Engineering, IT/IS) select a new manager from their professional staff the choice is largely based on technical skills and accomplishments. Criteria reflecting candidates' ability to perform "managerial" work, if used at all, frequently are highly subjective and do not reflect the complex and diverse requirements (i.e., organizational, business, supervisory and technical) facing new managers. This paper highlights the outcomes of a series of consulting engagements conducted over five years for a variety of organizations concerned with defining the performance requirements of technical management and building highly integrated, capable management teams. These projects have produced important insights, tools, and systematic methods for addressing organization and management development issues that are particularly challenging for highly technical organizations. The work began with development of a comprehensive, job-relevant model of the capabilities required for managing research and development organizations. The model was then tested and refined in two world-renowned R&D labs and, later used as the basis for defining and prioritizing managerial developmental needs in a multi-disciplinary organization that designed and manufactured complex communication systems. The model has been used as a benchmark for defining managerial roles in a dynamic IT organization of a leading transportation operation.