Developing Managers

Developing Managers

An Integrated Approach

As Indian IT industry grows…

• A growing shortage of management talent..

• Will soon become the single greatest constraint to growth of the industry

• IT industry issues are sometimes quite unique, not easily understood by managers from other industries.

What is a manager?

• Therefore, what does it take to develop one?• What is the raw material? The finished

product?

Therefore..• What is the development process?

Anyway..• Isn’t MBA education good enough?

Isn’t MBA education good enough?

• The short answer is – NO!• MBAs from second-tier schools aren’t good

enough at anything to earn the respect of experienced technical people

• IT industry issues are seldom covered in an MBA program

• MBAs from top tier schools (IIMA, e.g.) are lacking in experience, short on values, high on ambition – though they are also capable of big thinking (which is important)

Overall..

• None of them are worth having, especially given the difficulty in retaining them, managing the dissonance they create

• IIMA type worth hiring after they have been in field 3-5 years, tasted real life organizations– Hire 10 every year as laterals to drive growth of key businesses,

practices

• Focus instead on developing technical people as managers.

What is the alternative to MBAs?

The Proposition

• An alternative to MBAs, better and more directly useful

• A development process for your own people

• Who have shown the potential to be managers

• Your very own management school but without the academic trappings

To start..

• We must answer the original question:

• What makes a manager? How is a manager different from other human beings?

What management is about..

• First and foremost, it is about perspective– The ability to look at issues, challenges, from

many different points of view– Not just a technical view, or a financial view, or

a human interest view– But all of them, simultaneously

• The view from the ground as well as the view from 30,000 feet, all at the same time

All Views.. At the same time!

AND

A Manager..

• Has a bias for action: wants to use every bit of information and insight in doing something with it

• Has no bias against the source of any information or insight – if it works, it is good enough for him/her.

• Is always willing to experiment and learn and grow

• Ultimately cares about results….. as well as about process…and people

How does one create such a fabulous creature?

• Start with people who have shown the will to perform (bias for action)

• Who are regarded by their peers as leaders• Who are willing to invest in themselves (make

them share the cost of the development program)

- ability to earn respect of peers, desire to perform, willingness to learn – these cannot be taught… they should be available as raw material.

Put them through a development program

• Which is fun and exciting

• Flexible enough not to disrupt their normal work (no rising star can afford to take 2 years off to go to school)

• Not just classroom based

• Where they can see themselves grow

Principles…

• People learn whatever they choose to.. Instructor cannot force it

• Quiet reflection is a necessary condition for learning• Life experiences have the most impact on the

consciousness• People learn best when their mind is made open, by a

new situation/context• Real-world cases are the best way to develop

perspective• Focus on developing strengths…

The most effective irrigation is..

Drip irrigation!

Add some fertilizer appropriately….

The Managerial Mind

Perspective..

Analysis & Foresight

Action on the Ground

Values

Functional knowledge

process

stra

tegy

Perspective

30,000 feet view

• Rooted in understanding of self

• Context: society, nation, culture, industry

Analysis and Foresight- the 100 foot view

• Structure and nature of organizations

• Tools for analysis and diagnosis , tools for integration (business models, business processes..)

Action On the Ground

• Extreme execution

• Change

• Relationships

• Team Dynamics

• Skills: communication, negotiation..

Structure of the Program

Module 1- Perspective Building

Module 2 - Analysis and Foresight

Module 3 - Management in Action

Methodologies..Module 1

Part A: Understanding Self..

• 360 degree feedback

• MBTI analysis

• Quiet Reflection

• Read prescribed books, including classics: Mahabharata, Ramayana, Don Quixote..

• Spend weekend at an Aashram

Module 1 cont’d

Part B: Understanding Context• Visits to rural areas, other states, foreign cities• Theatre workshop: role playing others..• Dialogues with people from different countries,

backgrounds• Classroom sessions: Theories of History, Megatrends,

Macroeconomics

Keep daily learning diary, share selectively with other participants

Methodologies.. Module 2

Tools for analysis• Classroom sessions- all case discussion

– Industry analysis – Market analysis– Financial analysis– Analyzing OperationsHigh reliance on self-study Selected functional programs at IIM, ISB

Module 2 cont’d

• Tools for Synthesis– Understanding how organizations work– Classroom sessions: organization case studies– Classroom sessions: Business Process reengineering, six

sigma, balanced score card– Constructing Scenarios– Designing Business Models– Visits to, study of, other organizations: factories,

hospitals, NGOs, museums– Spend time with an architect – Project: construct business plan

Module 3Action Stations!

• Visits to organizations going through change• Building resilience: reflection through case study of

self• Classroom sessions: use of metrics• Role play: Argyris’ dialogue process• Role plays: negotiation• Communication:

– Internship with dancers, theatre workshop

• Action project: bringing about a change in one’s organization

Course Duration

• Flexible but likely to be minimum 50 weeks– Can be spread out over 2 years calendar time

• Each participant to invest average 6 hours a week including self-study time

• Classroom sessions on weekends• Some modules will require full-time

engagement for a few days (such as site visits etc.), not necessarily on weekends.

Before and After

• Before:– Observation of candidate in action– Self-rating, 360 degree feedback

• After:– Participant to maintain diary for 1 year– Unscheduled discussions with facilitator– Jointly with supervisor, observe and coach on

next major assignment

Target Group for Development

• High performers with minimum 5 years experience who – Have distinguished themselves in their work– Are identified as future leaders– Do not have MBAs

• Up to but excluding COO, CEO

Program..

• To handle 20 participants per study group

Module 1

Module 2

Module 3

0 weeks4 30 50

Broad Time-Line

Schedule for Module 1

Classroom sessions 2 hours a week

Self-study (4-6 books) 36 hours over 6 weeks

Offsite visits 6 full days

Minimum time: 6 weeks

Maximum: 9 weeks


Classroom sessions 30 sessions @ 90 minutes

Self-study 30 hours



Maximum: 25 weeks


Classroom sessions 10 sessions @ 90 minutes

Self-study 20 hours


Action Projects 40 hours over 8 weeks


Maximum: 25 weeks

Strategy for Scaling

• Roll it out in Waves• Start with 2 batches of 20 people, preferably the

senior-most in the organization• Module 1: after 4 weeks, form ‘teaching groups’

of 2 participants each: 20 groups.– 2 participants can support each other, build on each

others’ understanding.

• Each group rolls out Module 1 to class of 20 one level below them– Total 400 participants can be covered in second wave

Further..

• Module II to be videotaped in the first wave.– Videotapes to be used to run classes for the second

wave

– Teaching groups to ‘run’ the videotapes and add comments to fine tune the material for issues relevant to the second wave participants

– After each session in Module II, Facilitator to guide the teaching group on how to run the session, including possible teaching methods, possible questions, references etc.

Over time..

• ‘teaching groups’ will bring their own insights into the teaching process and the second wave sessions may diverge from the first wave.– Which is perfectly fine! Knowledge and

experience of participants must be leveraged!– Facilitator to check at random to ensure that

deviations do not fundamentally damage the course.

Module III

• Primarily projects and change management. Class sessions relatively few.

• Teaching groups can be supplemented again by facilitator and other top managers who are experienced at change strategies.

Initially..

• Two Waves to ensure process works

• After Module II rolls out in Wave II, further waves can be added if we have confidence in Wave II participants and in the process.

• Ideally, for credibility, managers should ‘teach’ people one level below them in the hierarchy, rather than their own peers.