The Warp and Woof of the General Manager's JobThis report draws details and examples from a study of the general manager job in a major corporation in an effort to determine what it takes to be an effective general manager. The report looks at two aspects of the demanding and important position of general manager. First, the report discusses the more or less constant requirements of the job, those demands that the general manager job places on any manager in most situations. The demands discussed include the need to function strategically and tactically, to think multi-dimensionally, to build and make use of large networks of contacts, to manage organizations of large scope and scale, and to occupy an elevated position with its visibility and trappings. Next, the report examines the variation in general manager jobs, with special emphasis on the contextual factors that make one general manager job different from another. Specific examples from the organization studied are given to illustrate these contextual factors. A section on how a general manager can evolve through various stages of definition and redefinition is also supported by examples from the company studied. The report concludes with five guidelines for studying and understanding the general manager job. (NB) |
Common terms and phrases
ability Bill Drath boss Center for Creative central tendencies cited as effective concrete instance context corporation Creative Leadership Post Cynthia D decision delegator Editor Center effective GMs executive function Gabarro GM described GM effectiveness GM job GM requirements GM's superior GMs need GMs we interviewed Implementation important incumbent individual ineffective GMs influence issues job at Signet job requirements juggling Kaplan Kofodimos Kotter Leadership Post Office Lombardo long-term manager's job manufacturing marketing matrix McCall mentioned Michael Mintzberg Morgan W networks North Carolina Office Box P-1 organization organizational overall performance PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL players position Post Office Box priorities problems relationships REPORT TECHNICAL REPORT REPORT TECHNICAL TECHNICAL Robert Robert E selling short-term situation strategy structure subordinates taking TECHNICA technical background technical managers TECHNICAL REPORT TECHNICAL technical side TECHNICAL TECHNICAL REPORT things thumbnail sketches tive top management type of business variation woof