The changing expectations from first line Manager

In the last two decades, there has been a shift of expectations from first line manager. During the early years of IT growth (1990-200), when India used to get work from outsourcing across the globe, the major skill required from manager was the project execution. In addition to the people management skills, which individuals acquired becoming lead, they also had to sharpen skills of formal project management.

After this first phase, instead of just outsourcing work, the matured products started getting outsourced to India. Managing matured products and continuously reduce costs to maintain them put the focus on improved process and quality. So, you will see the wave of CMMi and Six Sigma went through their peak demand during the 2000 and 2010 period. Both the services companies and also the product companies had to display their process maturity. The first line managers had to focus on process and quality during this period.

The current phase and demands from first line manager are in the new dimension of product management and business acumen. For the success of the manager, it is essential s/he has edge in carving out a roadmap (even for a product in decline phase!) for better market share or adoption.

While all dimensions of people, project, process and product are important focus areas for engineering manager, we should watch out for the industry trend and your current project stage to show larger impact for your organisation. 

The scope

This blog attempts to minimally cover the 4Ps of management - People, Product, Process, Project. In People Management, we cover topics related to individuals, performance, goals, motivation, team formation, team dynamics, etc. Product management includes the technical, business and marketing side of manager role. Process includes tools and techniques to control quality, stakeholder management, continuous improvement and innovation. Project management includes topics of planning, tracking, celebrating execution.

The Title

The title is after the most common thing customers shout when they are angry and furious. Let it be a restaurant or in a conversation with call centre executive, you more likely to hear 'where is the manager? I would like to talk to him (or her)'. Being a manager is a highly responsible and sometimes very tiring. This blog is about experience sharing and bouncing ideas. Feel free to comment, share and criticise. 

The Blog

I have created this blog to bounce few ideas about Management. My longing to be a manager has been since early days of my work life. There are many people in my life who inspired me with the fine art of management. This blog is a tribute to all of them.

Manager vs Leader - The great debate

There is the never ending comparison of Manager vs Leader. Things like Managers try to 'control' and leaders 'inspire'. In every aspect, you would see Leader is one or two notches above the Manager. Or Leader is ahead and does thing miraculously different.

So, do you want to be a Manager or a Leader?

Seeing the attributes of a leader, it is a no brainer. Everyone wants to be a leader. But in my opinion, if your day job is the role of a manager, you are no less an inspiration to others. A manager can as well be a perfect role model to others and have a job of high satisfaction.

Manager job at each level varies. First line manager is focused on execution and delivery. The second line manager is responsible in translating the company vision and goals to scope of his organisation, essentially converting the strategy into action. S/he is also responsible of doing the right things, than doing things right.

First line manager has the job of being touch with the troops at the ground level. S/he exercises skills to maximise resource utilisation. Plays a key role in efficiency of the company. In many cases, s/he could even be the first point of contact to customer and there by shielding the whole set of internal company constraints and limitations. Manager is also a scientific disciple which can be mastered through education programs in Business Administration.

Leader in comparison can always be  your dream goal to reach. The only message is, while you aspire to be a true leader, do not be disheartened being a Manager.

Very rarely I have seen advertisements for "Leaders" with dream attributes. But, certainly you will see requirement for Managers with clear roles, responsibilities and behaviours.