11 qualities of the effective manager and the implications for

management learning

John Rogers

GTN – Global Talent Network

www.gtnworld.net

11 qualities of the effective manager

Basic knowledge

& information

• Command of basic facts

• Professional knowledge

Skills & attributes

• Tuning in to what’s going on

• Analytical, problem solving, judgement-making

• Social skills

• Emotional resilience

• Proactivity

Meta qualities

• Imagination & creativity

• Mental agility

• Balanced learning habits

• Self knowledge

Burgoyne, J.G. and Stuart, R. The nature, use and acquisition of managerial skills and other attributes, Personnel Review 1976, 5 (4), 19-29

The research

Two methods were used to ascertain the sources of learning. 1. A critical incidents interview technique with 28

managers* 2. The data from the interviews was then distributed to

over 100 managers from a variety of organisations, via questionnaire

*In essence the question being asked was something like'tell me about something that is critical to your role thatyou do well, and then describe how you have learnt to dothis?'

9 sources of learning (in ranked order)Source of learning Description

Doing the job The tasks and skills of management picked up by doing the job of being a manager

Non-company education Graduate and post-graduate studies at universities and business schools

Living The learning experience of life itself

In-company training One-off seminars to structured programmes of management training

Self Derived from reflection, introspection and self assessment

Doing other jobs The experiences gained from doing a diverse range of non-managerial jobs

Media Newspapers, books, professional journals, etc

Parents Derived from background and upbringing

Innate skills and attributes considered to be genetically pre-determined

Qualities/Skills Primary learning sources for each quality/skill (in order of priority from L

to R)

Command of basic facts Doing the job In-company training Non-company education

Professional knowledge Doing the job Non-company education In-company training

Tuning in to what’s going on Doing the job Non-company education Living

Problem solving and decision

making

Doing the job Non-company education Living

Social skills Doing the job Non-company education Living

Emotional resilience Doing the job Living Self

Proactivity Doing the job Parents Self

Creativity Doing the job Non-company education Living

Mental agility Doing the job Non-company education Living

Balanced learning skills Doing the job Non-company education Doing other jobs

Self knowledge N.B This skill was added later to the model and was not tested in the original

research

Which sources help develop which skills?

• The most important aspect of this research is that it's based on what managers are saying of themselves. Their answers tell us how they link critical qualities/skills and learning sources

• Managers ‘get it’ that they learn most of what they can do by doing the job.

The link between qualities, skills & learning

The implications for management learning

• The variety of experience matters: doing the job, doing other jobs and from the experience of life itself

• Structured learning experiences are helpful, especially when learners have the chance to engage with others outside of the organisation and to engage in deep learning practice and assessment

What should we do more of to help

Helping managers learn from their experience:– Through observation of themselves and others– By paying attention and reflecting on what it is that

they are already doing– How to reflect on, record and evidence what is being

learnt, e.g. blogging– Getting feedback from peers and colleagues– Developing a network inside and outside the

organisation – How to ‘learn out loud’ and add value to what is

shared, especially via intra-organisation and external social media channels

Possible methods

• Self-analysis questionnaires and quizzes.• Short videos of, ideally, live workplace practice• Mini-case studies that allow the user to make the link

between a concept and everyday practice• ‘Organisational and cultural detective’ activities to

observe live workplace action• Setting up and taking part in professional intranet and

internet groups • Sharing ideas via ‘Ignite!’ style 5 minute presentations • Forming ‘self-help’ learning groups on professional

topics

A Manager’s Guide to Self-Development

• Development framework based on the research

• Practical advice on development planning

• 57 self-development activities

References

• Burgoyne, J.G. and Stuart, R. (1976) The nature, use and acquisition of managerial skills and other attributes, Personnel Review Vol 5 (4), 19-29

• Pedler, M., Burgoyne, J., Boydell, T. A (2013) A Manager’s Guide to Self-Development, (6th

edition). Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill

• Photo credits (Flickr):– Feedback Festival in S.Casciano by xdxd_vs_xdxd

– Learning to fly by Psycho Delia

– Social network in a course by Hans Poldoja

John Rogers – Learning in Practicejohn@gtnworld.net

http://johnrogers960.blogspot.co.uk/

12

GTN provides bespoke programmes:

Leadership TransitionsDevelopment at key career pointsBuilding the talent pipeline

Learning ExpeditionsAction-oriented experiential learningFuture challenges; global context

Executive CoachingBusiness and performance coachingIndividuals or teams

http://www.gtnworld.net

Learning in Practice by John Rogers is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License