Introduction

Most managers believe that the managerial role is a broader version of managing themselves, neglecting the fact that management is the responsibility for the performance of a group of people. Managers also neglect the fact that this responsibility requires them to influence not only peoples’ thoughts, but also their feelings which drive their actions. Thus, undoubtedly, management remains one of the most difficult jobs, or journeys as the authors call it, which require continuous improvement and tremendous dedication.

The book addresses the elements or issues which make management very difficult. According to the authors, there are around ten legitimate ‘paradoxes’ which make management a truly difficult journey, yet explain why the world needs management and why management requires self-knowledge. The reason why the authors call these elements as paradoxes is because they contain contradictory elements, nevertheless very true. These paradoxes elaborate how a manager is responsible for the performance of the entire group which can be obtained by focusing on the work done by the people within the group. Moreover, the authors remark that it is the manager’s duty to turn this group into a cohesive team without disregarding the individuals on it. For a manager to be able to do so, he/she must execute and innovate by doing the work on target; budget; and time; while, initiating change and innovation.

The Effective Manager’s 3 Imperatives

Based on studies of management practice, authors offer an approach which can be used to guide the aspect of every managers’ work. This approach is called “The Effective Manager’s 3 Imperatives: 1) Manage yourself, 2) Manage your network, and 3) Manage your team. As tools for managing the paradoxes, these 3 Imperatives tend to recapitulate the core of what managers must do to fulfill their responsibility as managers.

Under the first imperative ‘Manage yourself”, the authors concentrate on the actions that must be taken by the manager which are determinant in building a fruitful relationship between him/her and the people he/she manages. There are three core elements that a manager should pay meticulous attention to for him/her to gain peoples’ support and commitment: 1) not to depend on the formal authority, 2) build a balanced relationship with your people, and 3) build trust.

According to the studies conducted by the authors, a personal human connection or an emotional link, is a key factor determining an employee’s level of engagement with the work. This shows that formal authority alone cannot guarantee commitment. However, that does not necessarily mean that a manager should never exercise his/her formal authority explicitly. There are special cases, such as emergency, or when critical action is required, when people expect you to use your authority.

Another issue that managers do not pay as much attention to is building a balanced relationship with their employees. Being the boss does not allow you to have an equal relationship with your employees, as there are occasions that require you to use your formal authority. Moreover, the management position requires you to ask your employees for progress reports, self-evaluation, and so on, which makes the relationship one sided and highly demanding for a real friendship. Therefore, it is highly suggested that as a manager you keep each relationship on track by showing care, humanism, but always some distance and focus on the group and its work.

These actions are crucial as people want to know whether they can trust their manager. Trust, which is manifested through a proper character, will become the key tool for encouraging peoples’ commitment; willingness; hard work; and the desire to accept your influence and follow your leadership. Therefore, a true manager should show three types of competences: 1) technical competence, 2) operational competence, and 3) political competence. Technical competence requires the manager to know the business and understand what managers do, while operational competence is about how to apply it. On the other hand, political competence is about knowing people that are in charge and how to influence them.

Under the second imperative “Manage your network”, the authors emphasize the importance of understanding how the organization that you are part of works and the importance of actively and constructively engaging it at what you do as a manager. This can be achieved by creating a real network of your own. The network consists of three elements: 1) operational network, which consists of people involved in your group’s daily work; 2) strategic network, which consists of those that help you understand and prepare for the future; and 3) developmental network, which includes those who provide personal and emotional support and help you grow.

Moreover, the authors provide guidelines of how to build an effective network, highlighting the importance of including your boss at the network. The relationship with the boss is one of the most, if not the most, critical and sensitive relationship that requires considerable attention. Understanding that the relationship with the boss if one of a mutual dependence, authors provide guidelines of how to build a sustainable one. A sustainable relationship with your boss can be built by meeting expectations, developing trust, understanding your boss both as a person and manager, identifying his/her strengths, and being clear about what you need and expect as a manager.

Under the third imperative “Manage your team”, the book elaborates on the four tasks which help managers build and sustain a real team. The first task is ‘Define the Future’. It is manager’s responsibility to set clear goals and objectives and effectively communicate them to his/her team. Considering this task as a source of trust and influence, it also keeps the manager, his/her team, and the network focused on what’s important. The second task is ‘Foster the Right Team Culture’. The book pays special attention to this task, as it considers culture as the bridge that creates trust among team members and the manager and defines what is expected of each other. There are four elements of culture that create and sustain a team: 1) clarity about individual roles, 2) clarity about how the team does its work, 3) clarity about how team members work together, 4) clarity about progress.

The third task is ‘Treat the Team Members as Individuals’. In the context of the team, for this task, the book emphasizes the importance of developing, managing, and hiring (and firing if and when necessary). One of the crucial roles of a manager is to be able to interact with his/her employees. Paying attention to all his/her people, the manager should be open, accessible, honest, and supportive. These characteristics will enable the manager to know his/her people, and by encouraging team values he/she will be able to foster personal growth. Finally, the fourth task is ‘Manage through your daily work’. For this task, the book introduces a simple action model named “Prep-Do-Review” which can be used to apply the 3 Imperatives in daily work. This model enables the manager to think of every activity as a three-step process: preparing to act, acting, and then reviewing the outcome.

How do these ideas fit the content of The General Manager?

The main question that we should ask ourselves as students of this class is what are the management skills that we have learned in this class? Undoubtedly, MBA 522 has a broader scope than what this book covers, however, the book strongly supports ideas that we have learned in this class. In this class, we have covered two main approaches: the role of the manager in creating and maintaining the “FIT” between Industry Structure and Business Strategy, and the behavior approach which include Roles, Skills, Knowledge Base, and Behaviors of the successful ‘General Manager’.

The main goal of the class is to understand how to integrate and align the goals and needs of the company with the behavior of the individuals who are part of the company and play a crucial role in executing company’s strategies. However, the book only focuses on the behavioral approach, elaborating the skills that a manager must possess in order to successfully manage the people within his/her team, manage the team, and maintain healthy, fruitful, and professional relations with individuals within the organization, and specifically with the boss.

One of the most important common lesson that the class materials and lectures and the book share is the relationship that the manager should build with his/her boss. When building this relationship, the key factors are for the manager to understand organization’s and boss’s goals and meet expectations. Another important element that comes with this highly sensitive relationship is trust. It is highly important for the manager to understand that his/her relationship with the boss should be based on honesty and dependability.

Trust is an element that is not necessary only with your boss, but also is an element that should be developed with members of the team. Trust undoubtedly is one of the main pillars that differentiates a team from a group. If we think from a wider perspective, we realize that trust has allowed humans to survive. A team with an absence of trust will not be able to predict a positive and supportive outcome. Moreover, lack of trust will create an unpleased situation within the team as team members do not share information; do not cooperate; do not offer help; and fail to appreciate each other’s personality, work, and efforts. Conclusively, the team will not be able to deliver the expected results.

Another important common lesson is understanding the importance of leadership, influence, and hiring & firing wisely. In the book, authors consider influence as the product of leadership and management. Influence is an attribute of an effective manager and is highly required if a manager wants to have an impact on others. However, it is very important that a manager does not view influence as a dominating tool and not use it for personal satisfaction. Rather, this influence must be used for helping others grow, perform better, and achieve the team’s goals.

An interesting point that I have encountered in related articles provided by the professor and this book is how important is hiring the right people for the right job and firing whenever necessary. One of the paradoxes that is mentioned in the book is that a manager sometimes must do harm in order to do a greater good. There will always be people that you have invested a considerable amount of your time to grow, develop, and help them, yet they do either do not fit within the team or do not perform as expected. An effective way to avoid such situations, it is very important for the general manager to hire wisely. Nevertheless, it is impossible for the manager to avoid ethical dilemmas. The manager must be prepared to make hard decisions for the good of the team, other individuals within the team, and organization.

Another important note that we have deliberately discussed in class and is also mentioned in the book is the importance of communication. I personally believe that communication remains the key element of a highly functional and effective team. I can surely say that team effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability are very dependent on communication. This is true especially if a team aims to build trust among its members. Through proper communication, a team will be able to create a strong sense of “we” and a shared belief that “we” succeed or fail together.

However, the main question is who is responsible for creating a proper and effective communication among members of the team? Who is responsible for building the trust among team members? The main responsibility falls to the manager. Many managers make the mistake of thinking that they are only responsible for the work, which is mainly done by others. Most of the time they forget to pay attention to the whole person as they need more than their people’s time and attention. Therefore, its is the manager’s responsibility to foster the development of his/her people. And, unquestionably this can be achieved only if the manager makes himself/herself as part of the team. Managers can do so by effectively leading the team, communicating with the team members, and requesting responsibility both from the team and individuals within the team.

Conclusion

“Being the Boss” highly complements the behavior approach. It provides nurtured analysis, ideas, and opinions regarding the role of an effective and successful manager. Based on primary research, this insightful book provides models which can be further discussed and analyzed. Therefore, “Being the Boss” is a book I would suggest to any potential and current manager, if they want to better understand the overwhelming task of management.