Evolution is part of existance, near as dammit as we can ascertain.
Through the random trials and tribulations the weak or unlucky are weeded out and the strong or jammy survive, evolution naturally brings out factors and characteristics of those that live in environments need to survive, if a development aids them in their survival then they're more likely to survive. Simple.
So too with managers.
Managers are born (spawned1 some might say) in the primordial edges of the office, they crawl away from the work intensive sections and find themselves a good corner, ideally within a meeting room2, and attach themselves. The first days are not easy for a new manager, detached from their old colleagues and friends they are unsure of what their purpose (if indeed any) is. They often foolishly attempt to cling onto their former structures, friends3 and workloads and attempt to produce meaningful reports, work and useful input. They are of course doomed.
As a manager becomes more developed they increasingly disjoint from their former colleagues, their speech becomes more 'Managerese', words such as 'harmonious' and 'synergy' work themselves more and more into their conversation until, finally, their speech is completely indecipherable to anyone else but another manager.
This is the second stage of their development, and they have at this point become true managers. But, their development is far from finished as their toes are now deep in the corporate puddle of the world of managers and they now have to develop a whole new level of skills4 and abilities to survive and thrive.
Next week we'll take a look at the world of the managers themselves, how these creatures flock together, exchange PowerPoint graphs that take ten times as long to make as they do to talk about, despite them having the same words as the talk itself. We'll watch them struggle through communications and team building exercises, jollies and Christmas parties as they strive to reach the next stage of development.
The board member.
1 Spawned from what exactly is the source of many debates from biologists, chemists and geologists. Cafeteria food is currently the chief suspect.
2 The call of a meeting room is strong, many would-be managers die in the intense fighting that occurs as they struggle to book themselves that all important just-after-lunch 1 o'clock meeting for maximum employee annoyance.
3 If, indeed, any.
4 In the broadest possible sense of the world
Through the random trials and tribulations the weak or unlucky are weeded out and the strong or jammy survive, evolution naturally brings out factors and characteristics of those that live in environments need to survive, if a development aids them in their survival then they're more likely to survive. Simple.
So too with managers.
Managers are born (spawned1 some might say) in the primordial edges of the office, they crawl away from the work intensive sections and find themselves a good corner, ideally within a meeting room2, and attach themselves. The first days are not easy for a new manager, detached from their old colleagues and friends they are unsure of what their purpose (if indeed any) is. They often foolishly attempt to cling onto their former structures, friends3 and workloads and attempt to produce meaningful reports, work and useful input. They are of course doomed.
As a manager becomes more developed they increasingly disjoint from their former colleagues, their speech becomes more 'Managerese', words such as 'harmonious' and 'synergy' work themselves more and more into their conversation until, finally, their speech is completely indecipherable to anyone else but another manager.
This is the second stage of their development, and they have at this point become true managers. But, their development is far from finished as their toes are now deep in the corporate puddle of the world of managers and they now have to develop a whole new level of skills4 and abilities to survive and thrive.
Next week we'll take a look at the world of the managers themselves, how these creatures flock together, exchange PowerPoint graphs that take ten times as long to make as they do to talk about, despite them having the same words as the talk itself. We'll watch them struggle through communications and team building exercises, jollies and Christmas parties as they strive to reach the next stage of development.
The board member.
1 Spawned from what exactly is the source of many debates from biologists, chemists and geologists. Cafeteria food is currently the chief suspect.
2 The call of a meeting room is strong, many would-be managers die in the intense fighting that occurs as they struggle to book themselves that all important just-after-lunch 1 o'clock meeting for maximum employee annoyance.
3 If, indeed, any.
4 In the broadest possible sense of the world