Management or Under-Management
Through my 28 years of experience, of which 2 in the US, 6 in the manufacturing Industry in managerial positions and 22 as Business Consultant in Cyprus and abroad, I have found so often that in Cyprus most businesses ranging from the small to the bigger ones, are under-managed.
There are three (3) main reasons for this:
1. Entrepreneurship and Management
In Cyprus, and this is shown through international studies as well, people have a strong desire to start their own business. Therefore, they appoint themselves as Managers without necessarily having the required skills to manage.
2. The perception that the Management Skill is innate or acquired only with experience.
It is as someone believes that he/she can become an Engineer or a Doctor only by experience. Of course, experience is an important parameter of a skill, but knowledge and education are prerequisites to experience. Otherwise there is risk of serious and sometimes “fatal” errors.
Like in all professions, knowledge and continuous training is required, since the things around Entrepreneurship change rapidly. Therefore, Management skills require continuous knowledge which combined with practice and the experience gained, enhance effectiveness.
3. The “Promotion” system
In Cyprus usually people are promoted in managerial positions based on the following criteria:
- By favor & politics
- Family relationships
- Because he/she was a good accountant, he/she became CFO. Because he/she was a good engineer, he/she became a foreman and then a Manager and so on. That is based on technical merit.
Obviously the above three (3) criteria are far from being objective.
Therefore, effective management involves initial and continuous training on the subject in order for a Manager to be effective and abreast of developments.
What are you going to choose? Management or Under-Management ?
Register now to our Management Skills Development Programme, Endorsed by the Institute of Leadership and Management, UK
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