TECHNICAL SPECIALISTS AS MANAGERS

Plus or Minus?

Many careers start with the learning and development of a specific technical discipline. Such disciplines frequently follow a person’s early passions or interests. This could be a trade, a profession such as accountant, solicitor or engineer, perhaps a role as a service technician, teacher or a human resources manager – the list is endless.

As an individual’s career develops, the skill sets, competency and experience frequently grow to the point where performance in those technical areas exceeds that of peers and colleagues. This excellence in performance is often ‘rewarded’ by promotion into a management role. “It’s quite right!” you may say, however, increasingly it is becoming “not right”.

Not everyone has aspirations for, or is suited to making management a career.

We are frequently in discussion with individuals who have accepted a promotion from technical specialist to a management role, without thinking the situation through completely, generally on the premise that promotion to management is good, it is the done thing and is the way it is supposed to happen!

Unfortunately for many, this is not a successful move – suddenly, these people whose competence, training, development and performance at a technical level may be very advanced, are thrust into management with little (if any) preparation or appropriate training – with the expectations that because they performed at a high level in the technical discipline, they will do well in management.

Our experience shows that more and more people placed in such situations often struggle to come to terms with management in today’s very demanding, increasingly measured, exacting and pressured business environment where “grey” is more predominant than the “black & white” environment they are used to. Often the lack of advanced people and communication skills necessary for their new role is the initial stumbling block, whilst many find themselves ill-prepared and ill-equipped to deal with the ever present and time consuming people issues and other management problems which thus far in their career they have been sheltered from or had very little direct exposure to. Very frequently, without any guidance, training, support or development, these people are given a very broad brief and are left to live on their wits to either sink or swim. Inevitably they may find themselves moving further and further away from the hands-on, challenging and rewarding tasks of their former technical role – a role which they thoroughly understood and in the main, enjoyed.

We would therefore strongly recommend that before any technical specialist is considered for promotion, such individual/s be subjected to a carefully planned assessment/selection programme to determine whether they possess the appropriate competencies, and have the desire, attitude, aptitude, interpersonal skills and the qualities necessary to make such a move successful.

The utilisation of some simple assessment tools, such as an interest inventory, an occupationally based personality questionnaire highlighting team type, leadership and subordinate styles plus appropriate level cognitive (ability) tests followed up by in-depth structured/targeted internal and/or external reference checking, would assist in determining whether the move from technical specialist to manager would be in the best interests of both the individual and the company. In addition to the above, a structured/formal interview should complete the process.

Any gap in the knowledge bank must be identified and recognised with immediate and future training/development needs highlighted, mutually agreed and understood.

Above all else, the technical specialist must complete a self analysis process to determine for themselves whether their future challenges belong in management, or in further developing or broadening their technical expertise/specialist discipline. This latter direction may in fact be a better option for many individuals in the medium to long term.

Other options include making the appointment on an “acting” basis before otherwise confirming the appointment or making an alternative selection. A stepped, “phasing in” or gradual management development path are also favoured options by executives when considering technical specialists for promotion to managerial roles.

Putting excellent but unprepared technical specialists into management positions, often results in those people becoming very frustrated, disillusioned and stressed, subsequently their skills, expertise (and potential management capability) are lost to the company and/or the industry forever.

Whilst it may take longer and involve some cost in terms of time, effort and resource to work through such a process, the decision once made, is not only much more likely to have a positive and mutually beneficial result, it also significantly reduces the potential risk of failure for both parties.

With the major skill shortage the country is facing at this moment, we would recommend that executives give due thought and careful consideration to adopting an assessment process similar to that outlined above before promoting a technical specialist to management.

Remember, many of the best sales representatives make terrible sales managers and many a top chemist fails as a laboratory manager simply because the selection criteria/process and procedure was overridden by the need to fill a gap.

Barry T Knight