Are you trying to be something you’re not? Are you trying to convince others you are something you’re not? Are you guilty of impersonating a manager?
During the Second World War Clifford James an Australian volunteer convincingly impersonated General Bernard Montgomery as part of an MI5 plot to convince the Germans that the allied invasion would come from southern France not Normandy. If you look the part and act the part you can fool a lot of people but you can’t fool yourself.
Some people are never able to convince themselves that they have the necessary skills and experience for the post they find themselves in. They believe it is only a matter of time before they are found out and exposed. They could be right it has been said that people are promoted to their level of incompetence meaning they get promoted on the bases of being good at their last job rather than their suitability for this one. After all being an excellent classroom teacher does not mean you will be a good head of department anymore than being an outstanding social worker or nurse equips you for management.
Some managers’ career plans are based on moving on to the next post before they are found out or so it appears to those colleagues who are mystified by their success. But it also works the other way round some people who would make excellent managers don’t even apply because they can’t convince themselves that they could do the job or rather that they couldn’t do all aspects of the job straight away, forgetting that no one ever expects some one new in post to be able to do all aspects of the job from day one. Even those adverts that say they want someone who can hit the ground running recognise that it will take time to adjust to a new organisation, identify the strengths and weakness of the team and establish contacts.
We need to encourage those with potential whose insights into their own abilities make them reluctant to apply just as we need to identify those who are over confident due to an inflated view of their own abilities and a tendency to claim credit for the work of others.
The truth is most of us start off impersonating a manager those with insight recognise this and work on supplementing their skills and experience those without are known to us all.
Blair McPherson author of Equipping managers for an uncertain future and People management in a harsh financial climate both published by Russell House see www.blairmcpherson.co.uk
