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Good managers like you know how to set goals and milestones for your organisation.

But what about your personal career goals? Do you “manage” them as you do your organization’s goals?

And here’s another question: have ever used a GANTT chart (or other project management tool) to manage your career? Your career, after all, is probably one of the most important projects in your life!

Sadly, in over 35 years of working with talented managers, I have never met a single one who has managed their own career.

There are probably many reasons for this, but I want to make sure that you understand one thing: just because you’re talented, don’t expect your dreams to chase you. You must do the chasing.

Unfortunately, 70% of managers fail to realize this. What about the other 30? They know the secret. They manage their careers like a multi-million dollar project.

What are the consequences of failing to manage your career? Lots of wasted energy on unfocused activities. Why not use that fuel to pave your way to the corner office?

Let’s get started now. Click here to receive my Great Managers are Made collection, a series of nine short posts that will put you on the right track towards results-oriented career management.

And always remember:

Great managers are made. Not born.

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This week, I’d like to share the story of John, a super successful sales manager, who couldn’t understand what he was doing wrong.

Hurdle

I had just come out of my last performance review pretty down and out. My boss couldn’t stop praising my achievements last quarter, especially the fact that I had met all of my sales goals. I was sure that this was going to result in her offering me a promotion. But just the opposite happened. Instead, she told me that I was not going to be up for promotion for the following year. I was flabbergasted. How could it be that I am doing such a good job yet ineligible for promotion? When I asked her this, she said that I am not quite ready for more managerial duties and that I needed to carry on in my present position for the time being. How could this possibly be? For years, everyone has been telling me that I am wise beyond my years.  None of this was making sense at all.

I decided to let the dust settle for the rest of the week. Over the weekend, I called one of my old college buddies and told him about the performance review. While he was just as surprised as I had been, he suggested that I get in touch with Etika. If there was anyone who could help, she could. I wasn’t sure about this. After all, it was my boss's poor judgement, not my issue.

Encounter with Etika

Reluctantly, I made an appointment for the middle of the following week. When I made it to the top of the stairs and entered Etika’s office, I was met with an array of mirrors - each one reflecting a slightly different image of me. Some of them were pretty funny looking. I navigated my way through a couple of more mirrors and was then greeted by Etika. After introductions, she offered me a seat and asked me what I thought about all of the mirrors. I told her that it reminded me of the house of mirrors at an amusement park. She pressed on, asking me to think about the meaning behind all of these funny images. I wasn’t sure where this was going, so she explained. She said that these reflections represent how others - especially those in charge of promoting me - might see me. She explained that it was important to identify the aspects that people see as hindering my ability to function in a more senior position. Also, it’s important to see how some of the things you see as advantages might be perceived as disadvantages to others. This last sentence got me thinking. Sometimes, I am so goal oriented that I take over projects, leaving team members in the dust, so to speak. In this way, I don’t really delegate tasks or even teach my team members how to overcome challenges. I guess that this is why I hadn’t been considered for promotion.

Road to success

I decided to give Etika a try. After about a year and a half of hard work, people started to see me differently, wondering how I’d made such a 180 degree change. Needless to say, I was promoted during that time and have been promoted again since then.

What about you?

John changed the way he thought about “success” and therefore was able to make the changes needed to modify his management style.

Have you ever reconsidered what it means to be successful? How has it influenced your career? 

Remember: Great managers are made. Not born.

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This week, we return to Rob, who realizes that discovering his dominant and potential management styles is not something he can do alone.

Hurdle

After about two months of trying to develop my potential management style, I started to understand Etika’s wry smile as I had left her after our meeting. Yes, there’s a huge difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it. As a talented manager, I was sure that the whole transformation thing would be a piece of cake, but I was dead wrong. It was time to see Etika again.

Encounter with Etika

After catching up on the last couple of months, I told Etika how hard it had all been. She assured me that I wasn’t the first to underestimate how difficult real change can be - illustrating with examples of the way change is portrayed in the media as something “instant”, Actually, she explained, we are all creatures of habit who avoid change - sticking instead to what we already know. But change, she continued, means saying goodbye to the familiar and venturing to the unknown. It’s very hard but of course very possible - and requires some degree of help. Reflecting on the past two months, I knew that I needed help and asked Etika how she’d be able to assist me.

Referring to our initial conversation, she reminded me that we’d have to work on giving more room to my potential management style, which is currently being squashed by my dominant management style. This would require learning and practicing new habits, which would make me a more well-rounded manager. While she assured me of eventual success, Etika warned me that this kind of change isn’t “instant” and would come with the usual ups and downs that are expected with change. We’d take things step by step. I wasn’t thrilled to hear about this possible roller coaster ride, but I knew that I had to give it a try.

Road to success

After about two years of learning how to make room for my potential management style by reducing certain aspects of my dominant management style , I was promoted to VP Marketing and in a couple of months, I’m due to be appointed CEO.

What about you?

Rob received the help he needed to discover his dominant and potential management styles, leading him to achievements he’d probably never imaged.

What about your dominant and potential management styles? 

Remember: Great managers are made. Not born.

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COMMENTS

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This week, I’d like to share the story of Rob who was having trouble reflecting on his management style until he made an important discovery.

Hurdle

"You just need to be more effective.” I had been hearing this sentence from my boss for over a year now. I had been vying for a promotion and had felt comfortable enough to let my boss know. Every Time I hinted at it, though, I was met with the same sentence. I finally sat down with my boss over lunch one day and asked him what he meant. He told me that by being more effective, he meant that I needed to make decisions faster, sometimes even sacrificing the full consensus of my team members. I couldn’t believe my ears. How could I disregard my valuable team members? It had been through my intensive team building efforts that had made us so cohesive, let alone developed my reputation as a well-loved manager.

Encounter with Etika

I had heard about Etika from a colleague and decided to make an appointment with her. After a quick chat about my frustration, Etika explained to me that every manager has what’s known as a “dominant management style” and that on one hand, this is what has led to my success so far, while on the other, it can actually squash any further potential. It was really interesting to hear all of this and it somehow gave me hope that maybe by developing my potential, I would be able to, in my boss’s words, be “more effective”.

I asked Etika how I can find out more about my management potential. She sat me down in front of a computer and had me fill out a questionnaire. After analyzing the results, she showed me both my dominant and potential management styles. More importantly, she remarked that my dominant management style was keeping my potential management style from developing. This all started to make a lot of sense to me and I realized that all that I had to do was to “make room” for my potential management style.  I promised Etika that I would work on this and thanked her so much for sorting things out for me. I was determined to make a significant change. Etika smiled and let out a slight chuckle. I looked at her a bit confused and she answered that there’s quite a difference between knowing that you have to do something and actually doing it. She wished me good luck and I was on my way.

Road to success

Rob spent the next week writing a list of ways to develop his potential. He even made a list of key websites and books that he would be sure to consult as he embarked on his journey.  

What about you?

Rob realized the importance of identifying his dominant and potential management styles. It’s the first step towards meaningful change.

Do you know your dominant and potential management styles? Share your stories and thoughts.

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