One of the key outputs on many a leader’s job specification is to develop individuals within their team to become the future leaders of their organisation.
All well and good, however, the new framework for career success needs an overhaul. Truth: Not everyone wants a management role.
Many people have grown up with the belief that a promotion to a managerial role is what career success is all about. A common expression even talks about ‘climbing the ladder’ because we have been indoctrinated into believing that an upwards trajectory to a management role is the only route available to us in the corporate world.
But if we accept that not everyone wants to be a manager or leader then how do we keep our team of experts motivated, engaged and well rewarded who have no interest whatsoever in being managers?
What do Your People Truly Want?
A couple of years ago Harvard Business Review shared data from career builder on what individuals want when it comes to their career. It mirrors exactly my own observations working with teams across the globe over the past twenty years.
The research data states that around a third of people want to take the next step up to a managerial role with only 7% aspiring to move into a senior leadership.
For those of us who’ve always wanted to be managers, this can be a strange concept, and we often make the mistake of trying to cajole our best people towards management roles they don’t even want.
In the technical markets – including Pharmaceutical, IT, and Life Sciences, where I have worked for many years, there are extremely talented individuals who have no desire to be managers.
They want to progress in their career, but they don’t want to be in a position of responsibility for others. These people: scientists, project leaders, technical experts, etc.-are vital to your organisational success.
Unfortunately, because they don’t want to be the next department head can mean their career stalls, or that they’re ‘pushed’ into a managerial role, or reluctantly accept that the only way to increases their salaries is to become a manager.
Unfair? Yes.
Those who don’t want to be a manager or lead others often find that their training and development is neglected. This can lead to individuals feeling a lack of respect and sense their skills and contribution are undervalued.
The consequence is often a lack of engagement. In today’s economy, this can be a ‘dangerous’ thing; why you might ask?
Currently, we are in the grip of a worldwide skills shortage and many a technical star has been tempted to move to a new organisation where they are compensated well and promised development in their particular area of expertise.
Action Steps
The first thing to do is sit down with each member of your team and assess whether they want to be developed towards management, or whether they want training and development to further their ‘expert’ skills. This could include formal training or alternatively on the job project opportunities.
To find out who is who, schedule a one-on-one meeting with everybody to find out what their vision of success truly looks like. Make an action plan on how you can develop each person to their maximum potential, without being blinded by the traditional ‘ladder’ model.
This will help then build their capability in a diverse way whilst also allowing them the opportunity to increase their contribution and potential future salary.
Fact: It’s important for all employees to be challenged to improve- not just the ones who have expressed the desire to be a manager.
Look out for the next post where I share some specific ways to develop these individuals.
Until next time,
Julia
