How to Develop as an Effective Manager in Uncertain Times

How to Develop as an Effective Manager in Uncertain TimesHow to Develop as an Effective Manager in Uncertain TimesMuch of the content about how uncertainty and change will impact companies and careers has a doom and gloom sound to it. Some beg to differ, though, and in other ways, it is the best of times to develop as a manager and leader. You can learn much about navigating your career if youre armed with the right skills, tools, and attitude. Challenge yourself to think beyond the borders of your job and your firm to the bigger world of market forces promoting change and disruption for all firms and industries. After looking at the big picture, youll see how to cultivate the skills and tools necessary for survival and success in this complex environment. 6 Facts About the Future of Business Technology will continue to change everything. The accelerating pace of technological change is giving life to new industries and organizations and approaches to geschftlicher umgang. Uber i s the obvious example that everyone references and of course, Facebook, Google (now Alphabet), Tesla and SpaceX and many others are busy inventing the future.Tomorrows giant firms and industries will emerge from McKinseys Disruptive Dozen industries. These firms have digital DNA, a combo of unique organizational, human and technological factors that make up a digital companys foundation, and no ties to the businesses and practices of todays long-standing mature firms. They are unencumbered by the past. Every existing firm is battling for relevance and possibly survival versus the emerging digital DNA firms. The fundamental issue for existing firms is finding a way to move beyondthe practices and business approaches of the past to new markets with new offerings and approaches.Macro-forces will drive the economy for decades to come. No industry or geography or sector will be immune from the impact of these forces. This includes globalization, urbanization, demographic aging, geopoliti cal instability and the drive for sustainability (coupled with technological change). Management must be reinvented. This is a battle cry described clearly by London Business School Professor and Author, Gary Hamel, and is one believed to be absolutely correct and essential. Many of the practices and approaches used in guiding, leading and structuring organizations are mora relatable to the industrial revolution of the past few centuries than they are the hyper-fast, technology, and data-driven and interconnected world of today and tomorrow. The pursuit of management excellence and management innovation is imperative in todays world. You own your career, now more than ever. Your most important asset is you, your skills, and your ability to learn and adapt. Its essential in this era of change that you actively engage in a perpetual process of learning and reinvention. 7 Areas to Focus Your Management Development Efforts While lists of how to items grossly simplify the reality of the hard work required for success, they offer a great starting point. Consider these more as the basic guidelines for your personal professional fitness program. Develop Your External I.Q. Its easy to spend most of your days chasing issues and squelching fires inside the walls of your organization. Its essential to regularly adjust your altitude to a higher level and look at the bigger changes and trends in your industry, with your customers, and even in faraway markets and geographies. The best leaders and managers are constantly scanning the external environment looking for opportunities and noting trends or changes that might create challenges or open new doors for their firms. They focus on translating external noise into insights and actions. Grow Your Internal and External Networks. Success in this era of change is much about tapping into the right expertise to solve a problem or seize an opportunity. Your success, your teams success, and even your firms success may depend u pon the ability to engage experts outside of your daily environment. The best leaders and managers are network brokers who bring together very different groups of people to solve problems.Read Voraciously. Your hunger for the ideas from others will pay dividends many times over in your career. If youre not reading (or listening) and learning, youre moving backward at the speed of change. Stay tuned for some forthcoming suggested reading lists. Internalize Its Leader AND Manager. Instead of burning precious gray matter on the differences between a manager and a leader, know that you need both great management skills and great leadership skills to succeed. They are both incredibly valuable toolsets of behaviors necessary for success.Embrace the Reality of Power and Politics. Wherever humans gather in groups, power and politics are present. The challenge is learning to understand and navigate the political environment in a manner that keeps your integrity intact. And those who cultivat e power (in a clean manner) are the ones who decide what gets done and who does what. If it feels better, consider this more about cultivating influence. Just dont ignore it. Learn to Build Teams that Work. Teams are the vehicles of innovation, strategy execution and problem-solving, and you need to learn to be a master team builder. Most of the workplace teams sub-optimize, and in a world where timeliness is essential, you cant afford to have your teams misfire.Master Your Inner Game of Leading. Many people associate leading with a set of behaviors, including coaching, delivering feedback and providing direction. And while these timeless behaviors are still important, the context in which you are being asked to lead and manage is very different today than at any other point in time. Todays effective leaders are uniquely attuned to their role and responsibilities in fostering a safe environment where innovation and experimentation flourish. Consider this mindfulness for leaders.