Professional Development and Middle Management Making it Win-Win Honora F. Nerz Suzanne T. Weiner NC State University

Introduction Management skills – leadership, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, problem solving, and organizational context. Management skills – leadership, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, problem solving, and organizational context. Pay attention to mid-career burnout Pay attention to mid-career burnout “Sink or Swim” – management training? “Sink or Swim” – management training?

What’s the issue? We focus a lot of our mentoring energy on new grads We focus a lot of our mentoring energy on new grads Experienced professionals are often neglected when it comes to mentoring and/or development, but Experienced professionals are often neglected when it comes to mentoring and/or development, but it’s worse for middle managers

Why Middle Managers? More diluted responsibilities More diluted responsibilities Lack of control -- burnout Lack of control -- burnout Responsibility for others’ development Responsibility for others’ development Assumptions that experienced people can take care of themselves Assumptions that experienced people can take care of themselves

As a Result… Middle managers may feel - Lost, no sense of direction Lost, no sense of direction Compelled to make poor career choices Compelled to make poor career choices Reactive decisions Reactive decisions Passivity Passivity Wrong assumptions Wrong assumptions

The Bottom Line… Take ownership Take ownership Articulate what you want Articulate what you want Seek out your own mentors Seek out your own mentors Assess the situation Assess the situation Make plans (and act on them) Make plans (and act on them) Stay on top of it Stay on top of it …but how?

Assessing the Situation Consider - 1. Job satisfaction 2. Learning and development 3. Organizational values and culture

Job Satisfaction Ask, how do I feel about my job? And why? PositiveNeutral Negative PositiveNeutral Negative What are the positives? The negatives? Make a list. Just the facts!

Job Satisfaction, cont. A little more analysis How important are these things? How important are these things? What is… What is… the impact of a reversal? the impact of a reversal? the likelihood a situation will change? the likelihood a situation will change? the amount of control you have over the situation? the amount of control you have over the situation? Which situations are replicable elsewhere? Which situations are replicable elsewhere? Prepare now!

Learning and Development How do we learn and grow on the job? How do we learn and grow on the job? By working on new projects By working on new projects Through training Through training Conferences, symposia, reading, and publishing Conferences, symposia, reading, and publishing What about middle managers? What about middle managers? Learning the job and to supervise Learning the job and to supervise Meetings and correspondence (information conduits) Meetings and correspondence (information conduits) Training? Training?

Learning and Development, cont. What is blocking us? What is blocking us? Busy-ness/inertia Busy-ness/inertia Backlog; poor time/task management Backlog; poor time/task management Poor priorities Poor priorities Moving forward Moving forward Take inventory What have you learned this year? What have you learned this year? Successes and failures Successes and failures How have you developed yourself? How have you developed yourself? What’s missing/what do you want to learn? What’s missing/what do you want to learn? Does your job provide you with those opportunities? Does your job provide you with those opportunities?

Organizational Assessment What does the organization value? What does the organization value? Appraisals Appraisals Test your perceptions: ask people (the right people!) Test your perceptions: ask people (the right people!) Is it a good fit for you? Is it a good fit for you?

The Results Job Satisfaction Job Satisfaction Learning & Development Learning & Development Organizational Fit Organizational Fit So, the big question… Should I stay or should I go?

Game Plan Make reasonable goals Things to start doing Things to start doing Things to stop doing Things to stop doing Communicate! Communicate! Resumes and job hunting Resumes and job hunting

Thank You!