Managers will soon be the workplace dinosaurs. Not that they’re morphing into creatures with tails and sharp claws, but they’d pretty much suffer the same fate in the near future. Managers are well on their way to becoming extinct members of the work force.
Age old human resource books, as well as those written in our current times will surely tear themselves to pieces if they’ve got hands. This thought may be somewhat unimaginable for many. Just let them be. This phenomenon is happening now and it’ll our reality sooner than you can spell Mississippi correctly – backwards.
It’ll be my pleasure to walk you through this employment diaspora. Let’s take the first step by scrolling down a little further.
Are you in the brink of extinction?
Managers are one of a kind creature. These people are hired by business owners to get things done and more often than not, they’re really good at doing so. They usually rise from the ranks by working hard. The subordinates that they rule over are usually their co-workers before they were propelled to the prestigious position of being a manager. According to Kristina Rickettes’ paper for the University of Kentucky entitled Leadership vs. Management, responsibilities of managers are more task-oriented. With that, they are expected to have a bevy of skills including technical, human and conceptual to perform their roles well.
A Wall Street Journal article identifies the primary tasks of managers and these are: setting objectives, organizing, motivating and communication, measuring and developing people.
Does this describe your current job? Read the rest of the article to know how to save yourself.
Why?
Don’t cry in desperation just yet. This situation may not be irreversible but you can do something. It’s only the managers that’ll be extinct – not you.
The workplace has under gone many changes over the years. Now, are not only allowed to work but they can already hold high positions in both public and private organizations. It’s a big leap from just boxing in women as housewives decades before. The internet has also changed the employment landscape. Today, work at home opportunities and outsourcing platforms are rampant. Are these the factors pushing for the extinction of managers? Well, not quite. The attitudes and perspective that they bring with them are the true changers of the workplace arena. Managers will be extinct because of the paradigm change taking place in the workplace. Leaders are taking over management roles.
Save me, maybe?
Definitely! Being spared from the big shift is truly possible. It may not be easy but it’s surely worth a try. Upgrading your leadership skills is the way to go. Here are the differences between a leader and a manger to get you a head start on the big change.
I’ll take Warren Bennis’ differentiation of leaders and managers as published in his book On Becoming a Leader. It was in 1989 but still very much relevant as Wall Street Journal quotes it in another article.
1.The manager administers; the leader innovates
2.The manager is a copy; the leader is an original
3.The manager maintains; the leader develops
4.The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people
5.The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust
These are some of the differences between a leader and a manager. Don’t get left behind to lose your job – join the bandwagon of leader-managers. I’ll show you how in my next post.
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