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What's the main obstacle in managing professionals?

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تم إضافة السؤال من قبل Alex Al Yazouri , General Manager , Al Mushref Cooperative Society
تاريخ النشر: 2015/06/21
Alex Al Yazouri
من قبل Alex Al Yazouri , General Manager , Al Mushref Cooperative Society

Underpaying them, lack of trust, leading without good example,

Vinod Jetley
من قبل Vinod Jetley , Assistant General Manager , State Bank of India

Today's workers are no longer semi-educated labourers. They are likely to be smart professionals: doctors, lawyers, accountants and experienced managers. Like Alice's chess pieces, they all have minds of their own, they trust their own judgement and do their own thing. Managing smart professionals is completely different from traditional notions of management. Professionals often have low respect for managers, and are likely to think of them as bean counters and bureaucrats. The COO of one global professional firm is referred to by everyone as "chief clerk", even by the CEO. This is a recipe for conflict between professionals, who want to back their judgement, and managers who need to make things happen. Fortunately, effective management of professionals often requires less work and delivers better results than traditional management styles. It requires that the manager think and act very differently. There are five things effective managers of professionals do:

  1. Shield the professionals from all the corporate garbage that swills around -- administrivia, endless and pointless meetings, insane initiatives, relentless reporting and all the other stuff that organisations create with the sole intent of demoralising everyone. A manager who protects his professionals in this way will start to gain their grudging respect.
  2. Find the resources the professionals need to succeed. Inevitably, they will want more than you have: but if they see that you are a powerful advocate of their cause, they will trust you more than others. Like dogs, the professionals will be loyal to the person who feeds them.
  3. Focus on the annual budget cycle. This is important for two reasons. First, the budget settlement determines how much resource you can allocate to the professionals in your department. Second, it is the one moment when you have real power over your team -- this is where you can set and enforce demanding goals for the rest of the year. The professionals will whine that the targets are too tough, but once they are set, their professional pride means that they will be paranoid about missing targets.
  4. Set a clear direction and stick to it. Nothing makes professionals more cynical than a manager who is weak, uncertain and lacking direction. But once you have set the direction and goals, do not micro-manage. Be firm on the goals, flexible on the route they use to get there. Again, let their professional pride and paranoia motivate them to achieve the outcome.
  5. Manage less. The more you manage professionals, the more they will resist. Let them sweat it out. If they need help they will ask. If they are really overworked, they will tell you. If they need reassurance they will seek it.

Managing professionals is management judo: use the strength of the professionals rather than fighting their strength. If you do this well, they will make all the effort and you will bask in the glory of the results they achieve. But do not expect any gratitude from them. They will still think of you as the chief clerk.

Nasir Hussain
من قبل Nasir Hussain , Sales And Marketing Manager , Pakistan Pharmaceutical Products Pvt. Ltd.

1- Monetary benefits as per the potential

2- Centralized decision making policy

3- lack of trust

4- Lack of creativity  

Duncan Robertson
من قبل Duncan Robertson , Strategy Consultant , Duncan Robertson Consultancy

Managing professionals is not more or less difficult than managing non-professionals, and I'm not sure there is a "main obstacle" to overcome.  Whether the person you are managing is a "professional" or not (and remember that the definition is entirely arbitrary) is not important - you are managing a person, not a particular bundle of skills and education.

 

Having said that, skill-bundles do have an influence on how you manage.  Personally, I find that the more skilled and senior the person is, the easier they are to manage.  (In general of course - there are exceptions!)  Management of highly-skilled people usually requires less sweat, since they can be relied upon to manage themselves most of the time.  However, such management as there is often needs to be much more thoughtful.

 

I would say then, that insofar as there is a "main obstacle", it is ensuring you have the headspace to make your management sophisticated enough to be effective.

Agree with the answer about salary package, it has to be market related.

Providing the correct strategic goal - Professionals are guided by the strategic plan and mission of the company, this must be clear and have budget controls and managed by company policy and procedures, and then agree, trust the professional to work in his/her field of expertise within the boundaries set by budget and company policy.Provide a support team (subordinates) that is like minded, motivated and enthusiastic to keep steering towards the common goal. The executive management should model the leadership, be positive and stimulate enthusiasm by making it their business to know all staff members, especially management and professionals. 

Mohammed Asim Nehal
من قبل Mohammed Asim Nehal , M Asim Nehal & Co , Chartered Accountants

Lack of motivation and job enrichment.

Omnia Abbas Ahmed Rabie, MSc in HR
من قبل Omnia Abbas Ahmed Rabie, MSc in HR , Senior HR Lead / Certified Trainer , The Egyptian Cabinet, Information & Decision Support Center (IDSC)

Maintaining control while giving autonomy(allowing them to pursue their craft according to their own schedule and procedure and being controlled by their peers).

In short, Control clashes with autonomy.

Quality professionals

What is required of them?

 

What are the objectives of the institution?

Muhammad Adeel
من قبل Muhammad Adeel , Sales And Marketing Executive , TANZEEM HEAVY EQUIPMENT RENTAL LLC

Not giving Authority for Decision Making. Empowerment is very important along with Monetary Benefits. 

Ahmed Mohamed Ayesh Sarkhi
من قبل Ahmed Mohamed Ayesh Sarkhi , Shared Services Supervisor , Saudi Musheera Co. Ltd.

,  lack of Trust, creativity, improvement

 

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