MANAGERS

Technology has changed the manager role, but in many organizations the role remains crucial to success. People join companies, but they leave managers. Managers search for talent in a labor pool that is increasingly diverse in terms of education and business skills, and which is often ill prepared for current business requirements.

Managers are on the front lines, influencing current sales and profits more directly than the strategically focused executive management. Managers must react rapidly to changes. They serve the most sophisticated customers in history and they have to get it right amidst intense competition. They manage highly independent knowledge workers, the new frontier for productivity gains, and they must successfully coach them daily to achieve these gains.

ISSUES

Top managers attract, select and keep talent. Top managers coach to employee strengths, they recognize employee differences and treat employees differently. Top managers keep top performers satisfied and their business units excel in productivity, expense control, sales and profits.

Top managers maintain high employee morale. Their employees are engaged and customer centric. They generate customer loyalty, which increases recurring profits and increases in shareholder value.

"Seek out that particular mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive, along with which comes the inner voice which says, "This is the real me," and when you have found that attitude, follow it."
William James

Organizational success requires an alignment of individual talent with organizational task for managers and employees. All have talent waiting to be tapped and are eager to make a contribution.