So, You Want to be in Management? Five Essential Factors that Will Determine Your Chances

Home
>
Business Management
>
So, You Want to be in Management? Five Essential Factors that Will Determine Your Chances

So, You Want to be in Management? Five Essential Factors that Will Determine Your Chances

The following information is based upon over 500 interviews with senior executives with whom I conducted over the past four years. These senior executives represent a variety of industries and organizations. It is interesting to note the similarities of their responses. The research concentrated on five areas:

1. How they gained their experience and knowledge to become a senior executive.

2. What are their attitudes and opinions concerning the youth of today?

3. What are they most concerned about in running an organization in today's society?

4. What are their hobbies and interests outside of work?

5. What do they read to keep current?

How they gained their experience and knowledge:

? For all respondents, education was the number one priority. All had an undergraduate degree and approximately 60% had a graduate degree. They all believed that without a college education, their chances for advancement to senior management were almost unattainable.

? Having mentors throughout their career was very important to these men and women. They learned how to promote themselves through the guidance of a mentor. I highly recommend that you read Steven Scott's book, Mentored By A Millionaire.

? Networking was the key for much of their success within and outside of their industry. When they joined professional associations, they joined with the goal of becoming an officer in the organization for better exposure and networking. Networking consistently served as a catalyst for thinking creatively to capitalize on opportunities.

? They all are students of human behavior. They are keen observers of their employees' and managers' actions. They look for team- oriented individuals who treat others with respect and dignity. Attitude is the key ingredient for being recognized by this group of executives. They are constantly on the look out for talent within and outside of their organizations.

? The majority of these senior executives moved around their organizations every two to three years. A lot of them took lateral transfers in order to understand all facets of the organization.

? It was evident that these senior executives all focused on results. They have no patience for excuses or reasons why something cannot be done.

? All of them are strong advocates of life-long learning. They are voracious readers. They read about many different subjects. Their readings spur creativity which they put into action. They are constantly learning about how others run their organizations and how they can apply those strategies to their organizations.

What senior executives are most concerned with:

? Retention of valued employees

? Turnover

? Ethical behavior

? Customer service and satisfaction

? Global competition

? Employee healthcare

? Lack of communication from all levels of the organization

? Lack of employee loyalty and company loyalty to employees

? Finding good people

? Satisfying stockholders while balancing cost, quality, service and employee morale

? Lawsuits/discrimination charges

? Lack of civility towards one another and customers

? Integrating a diverse workforce

What senior executives think about today's youth:

This question was a mix of attitudes and opinions. It appears that responses were influenced by type of industry and tenure of the senior executives. Here is what they said:

? Bright, ambitious, motivated, opinionated, intelligent and confident

? Have an entrepreneurial mindset

? Ability to multitask

? Need a better work ethic?absenteeism, drugs

? What can the company do for me attitude

? Expectations are too high?expect promotions without paying the dues

? Lack of commitment to the organization

? Have a sense of entitlement

? Lack of civility and professional bearing

? Lack of respect for others

? Too much reliance on technology and not enough people skills

Publications senior executives read most:

? Trade publications specifically written about their particular industry
? Harvard Business Review
? Wall Street Journal
? Fortune
? Economist
? Investors Business Daily
? Books on tape
? Fast Company
? Executive Books Summary
? Forbes
? Business Week

Hobbies/Interests of senior executives:

? Golf
? Family
? Reading
? Traveling
? Volunteering
? Working out
? Walking/running
? Cooking
? Tennis
? Fishing
? Bicycling

If your career plan is to ascend to a senior management position, write your own personal action plan based upon how the senior executives in your organization gained their experiences. In addition, think about how you can help them with their major concerns in leading an organization. Read what they read in order to be conversant with them. Look at their hobbies and interests and determine if you have mutual interest with them. If you do, use it to network and display your similar interest through conversation. Lastly, form a positive response for their perception of the youth of today. Suggest ways that they can harness the energy of the youth and put it to a positive force within an organization.

Ryan James (R.J.) Lancaster is the president of the Education & Learning Institute, a research, seminar and publishing company. He helps organizations and individuals think differently to ensure their success. He is also a professional speaker and author of E-books.

Contact information: (602) 274-4609
Email: rlancaster5@cox.net
Website: http://www.rjlancaster.com

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

Gaza violence rages on despite UN cease-fire call (AP)

AP - The U.N. Security Council called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, but an intense bombardment of missiles from Israeli jets and helicopters early Friday and a barrage of Hamas rockets indicated there may be no quick end to the fighting.

Illinois House on verge of impeaching Blagojevich (AP)

AP - Gov. Rod Blagojevich faces almost certain impeachment by the Illinois House, a historic step that would trigger a trial to determine whether the Democratic governor should be tossed out of office.

Democrats begin new session with labor bills (AP)

AP - Democrats are ushering in what they believe will be a new labor-friendly era in Washington with House votes on two bills aimed at helping women fight pay discrimination in the workplace.

Job losses stack up as recession deepens (AP)

AP - Trying to survive a deepening recession, employers are cutting their work forces to the bone, leaving more Americans unemployed and with dim prospects of finding a new job any time soon.

Toxic coal ash piling up in ponds in 32 states (AP)

AP - Millions of tons of toxic coal ash is piling up in power plant ponds in 32 states, a practice the federal government has long recognized as a risk to human health and the environment but has left unregulated.

Obama to finalize national security team Friday (AP)

AP - President-elect Barack Obama is completing his national security team by announcing his unusual choices for CIA director and a national intelligence director who may face tough Senate confirmation questioning over how he confronted the Indonesian military when civilian massacres were occurring in East Timor.

Emphasis on smooth transition to new Cabinet (AP)

AP - Just minutes after George W. Bush took the oath of office eight years ago, he signed papers formally nominating 13 Cabinet-level officials. Several hours later, the Senate, meeting in a special Saturday session, confirmed seven Cabinet secretaries, including the heads of the key posts at State, Treasury and Defense.

Rifts show as Obama urges quick action on stimulus (AP)

AP - Lawmakers are under orders to finish action on President-elect Barack Obama's nearly $800 billion economic recovery plan by mid-February. But already it is plain that a set of serious fissures need to be bridged if the bill is to be completed within five weeks.

Critics' final answer: `Slumdog' wins 5 awards (AP)

AP - The critics have spoken, and "Slumdog Millionaire" is their final answer.

Mini Dynasty: Tebow leads Gators past Oklahoma (AP)

AP - The game defied expectations. Tim Tebow fulfilled them. He rescued No. 1 Florida, running through and throwing over No. 2 Oklahoma for a 24-14 victory Thursday night that gave the Gators their second BCS championship in three years.

World waits on jobs data as recession weighs (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. employers probably cut the most jobs in at least 34 years last month as the global economic crisis gathered pace and moves by policy makers took time to filter through to struggling companies.

U.N. calls for immediate Gaza truce (Reuters)

Reuters - Israel pushed ahead with its two-week-old offensive in the Gaza Strip, ignoring a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Panel steps up criticism of Treasury: report (Reuters)

Reuters - A report being released on Friday alleges that the U.S. Treasury has failed to reveal its strategy for stabilizing the financial system, not answered questions asked by a government watchdog, and has done nothing to help struggling homeowners, the Wall Street Journal said.

EU seeks gas supply return after deal (Reuters)

Reuters - Europe sought a swift restoration of gas supplies on Friday after striking a deal with Moscow on monitoring gas shipments via Ukraine that have been halted by a pricing dispute with Kiev.

Citi backs measure to help avoid foreclosures (Reuters)

Reuters - Financial giant Citigroup Inc will support a proposal in Congress to rewrite U.S. bankruptcy law to help troubled mortgage borrowers avoid foreclosure, Chief Executive Vikram Pandit said on Thursday.

Illinois panel recommends governor's impeachment (Reuters)

Reuters - A legislative committee on Thursday recommended the impeachment of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, citing widespread abuse of power including allegations he tried to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

Obama team amending financial rescue package: report (Reuters)

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama's economic team is urgently overhauling the $700 billion financial rescue package to broaden its scope beyond Wall Street, The Washington Post reported on Friday.

Qaeda Pakistan leader believed dead: U.S. official (Reuters)

Reuters - Al Qaeda's operations chief in Pakistan and a top aide are believed to be dead, a U.S. counterterrorism official said on Thursday, in what appeared to be the latest results of a campaign targeting the militant group's leadership.

Israel and Hamas battle on after UN ceasefire demand (AFP)

AFP - Israel and Hamas launched heavy air strikes and rocket attacks on each other Friday, ignoring a UN Security Council order on the warring rivals to end their conflict.

Hopes for Russia gas deal after EU claims breakthrough (AFP)

AFP - European states deprived of Russian gas amid freezing weather were Friday hoping for a resumption of deliveries after the European Union claimed a breakthrough in the crisis between Moscow and Kiev.

So, You Want to be in Management? Five Essential Factors that Will Determine Your Chances

Business Management Business Management