So, You Want to be in Management? Five Essential Factors that Will Determine Your Chances

The following information is based upon over 500 interviews with senior executives with whom I conducted over the past four years. These senior executives represent a variety of industries and organizations. It is interesting to note the similarities of their responses. The research concentrated on five areas:

1. How they gained their experience and knowledge to become a senior executive.

2. What are their attitudes and opinions concerning the youth of today?

3. What are they most concerned about in running an organization in today's society?

4. What are their hobbies and interests outside of work?

5. What do they read to keep current?

How they gained their experience and knowledge:

? For all respondents, education was the number one priority. All had an undergraduate degree and approximately 60% had a graduate degree. They all believed that without a college education, their chances for advancement to senior management were almost unattainable.

? Having mentors throughout their career was very important to these men and women. They learned how to promote themselves through the guidance of a mentor. I highly recommend that you read Steven Scott's book, Mentored By A Millionaire.

? Networking was the key for much of their success within and outside of their industry. When they joined professional associations, they joined with the goal of becoming an officer in the organization for better exposure and networking. Networking consistently served as a catalyst for thinking creatively to capitalize on opportunities.

? They all are students of human behavior. They are keen observers of their employees' and managers' actions. They look for team- oriented individuals who treat others with respect and dignity. Attitude is the key ingredient for being recognized by this group of executives. They are constantly on the look out for talent within and outside of their organizations.

? The majority of these senior executives moved around their organizations every two to three years. A lot of them took lateral transfers in order to understand all facets of the organization.

? It was evident that these senior executives all focused on results. They have no patience for excuses or reasons why something cannot be done.

? All of them are strong advocates of life-long learning. They are voracious readers. They read about many different subjects. Their readings spur creativity which they put into action. They are constantly learning about how others run their organizations and how they can apply those strategies to their organizations.

What senior executives are most concerned with:

? Retention of valued employees

? Turnover

? Ethical behavior

? Customer service and satisfaction

? Global competition

? Employee healthcare

? Lack of communication from all levels of the organization

? Lack of employee loyalty and company loyalty to employees

? Finding good people

? Satisfying stockholders while balancing cost, quality, service and employee morale

? Lawsuits/discrimination charges

? Lack of civility towards one another and customers

? Integrating a diverse workforce

What senior executives think about today's youth:

This question was a mix of attitudes and opinions. It appears that responses were influenced by type of industry and tenure of the senior executives. Here is what they said:

? Bright, ambitious, motivated, opinionated, intelligent and confident

? Have an entrepreneurial mindset

? Ability to multitask

? Need a better work ethic?absenteeism, drugs

? What can the company do for me attitude

? Expectations are too high?expect promotions without paying the dues

? Lack of commitment to the organization

? Have a sense of entitlement

? Lack of civility and professional bearing

? Lack of respect for others

? Too much reliance on technology and not enough people skills

Publications senior executives read most:

? Trade publications specifically written about their particular industry
? Harvard Business Review
? Wall Street Journal
? Fortune
? Economist
? Investors Business Daily
? Books on tape
? Fast Company
? Executive Books Summary
? Forbes
? Business Week

Hobbies/Interests of senior executives:

? Golf
? Family
? Reading
? Traveling
? Volunteering
? Working out
? Walking/running
? Cooking
? Tennis
? Fishing
? Bicycling

If your career plan is to ascend to a senior management position, write your own personal action plan based upon how the senior executives in your organization gained their experiences. In addition, think about how you can help them with their major concerns in leading an organization. Read what they read in order to be conversant with them. Look at their hobbies and interests and determine if you have mutual interest with them. If you do, use it to network and display your similar interest through conversation. Lastly, form a positive response for their perception of the youth of today. Suggest ways that they can harness the energy of the youth and put it to a positive force within an organization.

Ryan James (R.J.) Lancaster is the president of the Education & Learning Institute, a research, seminar and publishing company. He helps organizations and individuals think differently to ensure their success. He is also a professional speaker and author of E-books.

Contact information: (602) 274-4609
Email: rlancaster5@cox.net
Website: http://www.rjlancaster.com

---

Success in Business Means Managing Negative Emotions

You may have the MBA but if an internal critic... Read More

Quick Tip - Effective Meetings Earn a Profit

Most people treat meetings as a free resource that can... Read More

Know Your Business! - 7 Key Questions You Must Ask

You need to know all that is going on around... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management ? Motivation and Management Layers

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Is Busyness Affecting Your Business?

I'm too busy; I'd love to but I'm very busy;... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management :- Thought Leadership

Leadership is only sustainable when leaders consistently come up with... Read More

A Winning Way to Handle New Ideas

Janet DiClaudio, who was charge of medical records at two... Read More

Blame Culture Blues - How the Language of Blame Manifests Organisational Underperformance

If you have ever worked within a large organisation then... Read More

He Hate Me: Turning Their Bad Attitude Into Your Great Results

"He Hate Me" was the nickname of Rod Smart, a... Read More

Human Resource Communication Pays Off

Human Resource Communications and Corporate Communications ? are they one... Read More

Solving the Problem Solving Problem

The meeting started like a hundred others before. There were... Read More

Empowering Others - Giving Them Some Control

It's been a pretty good weekend around the place -... Read More

Beyond Management Coaching: When Things Are Getting Out of Control

Leaders and Managers often ask us, 'What do you do... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management ? Feasibility

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Knowledge Management - Capturing And Structuring Knowledge Into Reusable Assets

Many organizations have an approach for identifying and recording lessons... Read More

Building the Trust in Your Employees - 12 Easy Tips

In Stephen Covey's great book, "The Seven Habits of Highly... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Finding The Perfect Balance

This article relates to the Work/Life Balance competency, which investigates... Read More

Increasing Employee Retention Through Employee Engagement

You've seen it happen many times. An organization that provides... Read More

Top Ten Things About Creating a Business Vision

To visualise where you are going, is deeper and more... Read More

How to Delegate More Effectively

Do this simple excercise, and transform your life.First, Make a... Read More

Make the Most of Your Time - Focus on Strengths

Once working and focused in tune with what they do... Read More

Proven Secrets to Keeping Your People and Increasing Your Profits

Why are people changing jobs so quickly these days?Here are... Read More

Use Noncompete Agreements To Protect Your Business

Q: One of my former employees has launched an online... Read More

Dont Let Your Measurements Mislead You

Don't Let Your Measurements Mislead You ... Read More

Dont Hire Squirrels to be Your Top Dogs

Bad hiring decisions cost organizations, both in dollars and lost... Read More

Power of Pinpointing Accountability

I have always said that if I were to write... Read More

Can What Someone Does Off-hours Affect Your Business?

Q: How much do I have to worry about what... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management: Goal Setting

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Are Your Meetings Smart?

Soon after I finished a brief seminar on how to... Read More

Making a Decision to Outsource: Driving Factors

Most executives view offshore outsourcing most of all as a... Read More

Drafting an Employee Manual Sample Outline

One of the hardest things I had discovered running my... Read More

Managing Employees Is A Little Like Herding Cats

Q: I started my small business about a year ago... Read More

Introducing the 15 Frameworks of Successful Self-Employed Professionals

A framework is a way of thinking, a point-of-view, a... Read More