Enabling Technical Managers to Lead the Business
Business Issue
A fast growing technology company was managed by individuals with deep technical education but little, if any, formal education in management or business. As the firm grew, it became increasingly obvious to senior executives that they either had to hire more experienced managers or increase the capabilities of their current managers. The firm elected the latter approach and sought out education that would give the managers the focus and capabilities they needed to drive the business to the next level.
Approach
Duke Corporate Education (Duke CE) partnered with the firm to create a customized curriculum for the firm’s middle and upper managers. The approach to this curriculum focused on the following two areas:
- Leadership identity and perspective:
The managers did not identify with the role of leader. They acted like individual contributors who happened to be supervising other people. Motivating others or coordinating people were not perceived as important aspects of their jobs. They did not see their role from the perspective of manager of people and architect of systems.
- Business knowledge and skills:
The managers didn’t have a sense of how the total organization worked. They knew their own area very well but not how the various disciplines within the organization related to each other. They did not value functions like marketing or finance because they did not know what they were about. The managers lacked the broader business understanding that is a focus of an MBA education.
Learning Experience
In collaboration with the company, Duke CE created a unique curriculum design targeting the areas described above. The learning experience included face-to-face workshops in which managers had the opportunity to gain business knowledge and skills from both external experts as well as internal experts from within the company. This was paired with individual assessment coaching which provided valuable feedback and direction for each manager in their role as a leader in the company. Between workshops, the managers had an opportunity to work together on business projects aimed at solving real problems affecting their company.
Execution
The program was delivered over a two-month period. During this time period, managers met for face-to face instruction in two 4-day workshops. The workshops were separated by a seven week intersession in which managers received individual assessment coaching and made progress on their business projects.
Outcome
The program addressed the company’s strategic challenges while raising the manager’s business acumen in topics such as marketing and finance. In addition, a rigorous leadership curriculum balanced with individual assessment coaching and business projects challenged managers to think differently about their roles within their organization. They were able to see themselves not only as technical experts, but more importantly as managers and leaders charged with meeting the firm’s business goals and taking the organization to the next level.
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