A senior research fellow was placed in charge of the entire research and development division of a consumer products company. Although he was recognized as possessing the top scientific and academic research credentials among a staff of several hundred research professionals, he had never managed a staff of more than 20. The new assignment was a true test of his ability to step up to a significantly expanded leadership role.
Right from the outset, the executive could see the job was even more difficult than he had imagined. He needed to spend a lot more time at his job because of all the extra administrative tasks associated with the role. He also found his time was increasingly being consumed in handling issues and problems among his staff. Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of his new role was he found himself unable to dedicate enough time and energy to the pure research he had enjoyed for so much of his career. He began to question whether the organization had made the right decision in placing so much of the company's future in his hands.
Camden was asked to help the executive determine whether there was a way for him to be more comfortable and effective in his new role. We started by getting the executive to think about, and then articulate, his career goals and objectives for his division. Then using a combination of a 360-degree feedback survey and structured interviews with colleagues, we were able to identify the key strengths the executive brought to the job. We also identified those areas where others felt the executive needed some improvement. None of our findings were a major surprise to the executive, but they did provide emphasis and clarity upon which we were able to build a strategy for development.
After reflecting upon the feedback and re-focusing his goals, the executive developed a strategy and detailed plan to:
- Delegate several of his major tasks to his senior managers as a means to move these projects along and to provide developmental opportunities to his direct reports
- Increase his networking with senior managers from other functional divisions to better understand how the research and development function fit into the overall corporate strategy
- Establish a town meeting format that allowed him to regularly communicate to his division and to conduct question and answer sessions on key issues
With a stronger focus on his management role and a re-alignment of his activities to suit his new responsibilities, he grew more comfortable and more effective as an organizational leader.
