CAREER ARCHITECT®EXPRESS

PREP FOR SUCCES S SERIES

How to
Stand Out As
a First-Time
Manager
Michael M. Lombardo & Robert W. Eichinger
George S. Hallenbeck Jr., Series Editor

YOUR SKILL AREAS OF FOCUS:

▫ Introduction 1
▫ Creativity 8
▫ Perspective 18
▫ Managing and Measuring Work 25
▫ Command Skills 32
▫ Conflict Management 40
▫ Presentation Skills 48
▫ Motivating Others 58
▫ Closing Thoughts 67
▫ Additional Resources 69

COPYRIGHT © 1996–2012 LOMINGER INTERNATIONAL: A KORN/FERRY COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

H O W T O S TA N D O U T A S A F I R S T - T I M E M A N A G E R

At some point in your career, you have probably been direct witness
to someone who was promoted into a managerial role with high
expectations, only to quickly flame out. “What happened?” everyone
asked. This person had all the functional/technical skills required
for success, had never before missed performance goals, wasn’t a
troublemaker, and was generally well liked. Why the epic fail?

The answer, on closer inspection, is often quite simple. This person,

while having all the tools to be successful in his or her previous role,
kept applying those same tools despite the fact that the new role
called for something very different. It’s an easy mistake to make. After
years of hearing that you’ve got the “right stuff” and “just keep up the
good work,” you can get caught in a paradoxical rut of success. The
reinforcement and recognition that you get from doing the right things
in your previous role can carry over so strongly to the next role, that the
need for a shift is recognized too late.

The good news is that this outcome is entirely avoidable, but it will
require you, first, to clearly recognize what separates the manager role
from your previous one and, second, to invest in building the skills that
will help you navigate the transition.

After years of hearing that you’ve got the “right stuff”

and “ just keep up the good work,” you can get caught
in a paradoxical rut of success.
The differences between any managerial role and the one that precedes
it will vary case by case, but decades of management research have
clued us in to some of the fundamental differences. Here’s a high-level,
thematic breakdown of some of the critical and defining shifts that await
you as you transition to becoming a manager.

COPYRIGHT © 1996–2012 LOMINGER INTERNATIONAL: A KORN/FERRY COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

INTRODUCTION 2
H O W T O S TA N D O U T A S A F I R S T - T I M E M A N A G E R

Some Strategies for Developing Perspective

Consider these remedies as a practical means of jump-starting your
development on this competency:

1. READY TO EXPAND YOUR THINKING? DO SOME FUTURISTIC READING.

Read Management Challenges for the 21st Century by Peter Drucker,
any of the Megatrends books by John Naisbitt, The Popcorn Report by
Faith Popcorn, or The Futurist—the journal of the World Future Society.
For example, Drucker raises issues such as what does it mean that the
birth rate is collapsing in the developed world? By 2030 it is estimated
that half of Japan’s population will be 65 or older. Much the same is
true in the rest of the developed world. Will the retirement age go up?
Will we treat workers more like volunteers as they opt out of larger
organizations? Leisure spending may go down since more time off is
not likely. Education and health care will grow. Immigration? Even in the
wake of terror attacks, we may have to import immigrants to maintain
workforces. The average career of an employee will far outlive their
employers (most corporations last about 30 years). Second and third
“careers” will be standard. The means of production has largely become
knowledge. Outsourcing is up—knowledge is increasingly specialized,
expensive, and difficult to maintain. Is this a harbinger of more
outsourcing and alliances? What are the trends at play and how do they
affect your organization going forward?

2. DOES HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF? LEARN FROM THE PAST.

Study a few well-known inventions of the past, like the automobile (The
Machine That Changed the World by James Womack and associates
at MIT is an excellent source). See how they use the past to predict
the future. See how several unrelated inventions came together to
form a bigger one. There is a series on cable called Modern Marvels.
Watch a few shows. Buy the series. How could you use the past of your
organization—from 1960 to 1970; from 1970 to 1980, etc.—to predict
the future?

COPYRIGHT © 1996–2012 LOMINGER INTERNATIONAL: A KORN/FERRY COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

PERSPECTIVE 20
H O W T O S TA N D O U T A S A F I R S T - T I M E M A N A G E R

THINGS YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW

You don’t have to have a formal role as a manager to exercise your skill
at Perspective. Seek out situations such as the ones described below to
get more practice and build your skills in advance. Don’t limit yourself
to the workplace. Look for opportunities in your life outside of work to
utilize and develop this competency.

« Work on a project that involves travel and study of an international

issue, acquisition, or joint venture and report back to management.
« Work short rotations in other units, functions, or geographies
you’ve not been exposed to before.
« Lead a project team made up of nationals from a number of
countries.
« Get involved with the negotiation of a contract or agreement with
international consequences.
« Become a volunteer for a year or more for an outside organization.

SUGGESTED READINGS
These readings can add to your understanding of Perspective and
provide additional ideas for development.

Bernstein, R.B. (2005). Thomas Jefferson. New York, NY: Oxford

University Press, Inc.
Chernow, R. (2004). Titan: The life of John D. Rockefeller. London,
England: Vintage.
Drucker, P. F. (2001). Management challenges for the 21st century. New
York, NY: HarperBusiness.
Dudik, E. M. (2000). Strategic renaissance: New thinking and innovative
tools to create great corporate strategies using insights from history and
science. New York, NY: AMACOM.
Durant, W., & Durant, A. (1968). The lessons of history. New York, NY:
Simon & Schuster.
Gladwell, M. (2002). The tipping point: How little things can make a big
difference. New York, NY: Back Bay Books.
Heleniak, R. J., Hyde, S. C., & Robison, W. B. (1999). A broad perspective:
Readings in western civilization from the ancient world to the present.
Sugarland, TX: American Heritage Custom Publishing.

COPYRIGHT © 1996–2012 LOMINGER INTERNATIONAL: A KORN/FERRY COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

PERSPECTIVE 23
H O W T O S TA N D O U T A S A F I R S T - T I M E M A N A G E R

Additional Resources
OTHER TITLES IN THE CAREER
CA ARCHITECT ® EXPRESS SERIES
CAREER ARCHITECT®EXPRESS
Prep for Success: How to Stand Out As a First-
Time Executive provides insight and practical
guidance to develop the key competencies that
PREP FOR SUCCES S SERIES

How to
Stand Out As
a First-Time are highly correlated with success in an executive
Executive
Michael M. Lombardo & Robert W. Eichinger
George S. Hallenbeck Jr., Series Editor
role.  Whether aspiring to enter the executive
YOUR SKILL AREAS OF FOCUS:
▫ Introduction
▫ Learning on the Fly
▫ Dealing with Ambiguity
▫ Innovation Management
1
8
15
23
ranks or looking for a career-development tool to
▫ Strategic Agility 31

help you in your existing role, this how-to guide

▫ Political Savvy 41
▫ Negotiating 48
▫ Managing Vision and Purpose 56
▫ Closing Thoughts 64
▫ Additional Resources 67

COPYRIGHT © 1996–2012 LOMINGER INTERNATIONAL: A KORN/FERRY COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

will steer you in the right direction and provide

you with guidance to hit the ground running as a
newly appointed executive.

CAREER ARCHITECT®EXPRESS
Prep for Success: How to Stand Out in Your First
International Assignment provides an actionable,
research-based plan to develop competencies
PREP FOR SUCCES S SERIES

How to
Stand Out
in Your First
International that are vital to success in an international
Assignment
Michael M. Lombardo & Robert W. Eichinger
George S. Hallenbeck Jr., Series Editor
assignment. Whether contemplating an
YOUR SKILL AREAS OF FOCUS:
▫ Introduction
▫ Dealing with Ambiguity
▫ Managing Diversity
▫ Understanding Others
1
7
15
24
international move or recently relocated, this
▫ Listening 33

how-to guide will provide you with ideas and

▫ Dealing with Paradox 40
▫ Personal Learning 48
▫ Work/Life Balance 55
▫ Closing Thoughts 62
▫ Additional Resources 64
COPYRIGHT © 1996–2012 LOMINGER INTERNATIONAL: A KORN/FERRY COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

pointers that will help you make a great impact

through your assignment.

COPYRIGHT © 1996–2012 LOMINGER INTERNATIONAL: A KORN/FERRY COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 69
H O W T O S TA N D O U T A S A F I R S T - T I M E M A N A G E R

SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES
The most effective learners seek insight from multiple sources. In
addition to all the material provided in How to Stand Out as a First-Time
Manager, you can access the useful supplemental resources listed below.
Investigate these resources to help you gain additional insight, increase
your self-awareness, and enhance your success on your job and in your
career. All resources listed below are available at http://store.lominger.com.

FYI™ for Insight: 21 Leadership Characteristics

for Success and the 5 That Get You Fired starts
FYI
FY
Y Fo
For
F r In
IInsight
Insi
nsigh
nsightt ™

The 21 Leadership Characteristics

individuals on a path toward improvement by
for SUCCESS and the

5 that get you FIRED

building self-awareness. FYI™ for Insight is used to
help individuals gain awareness, get to acceptance,
Kim E.. Ruyle,, George
J. Evelyn
Ge
G
n Orr & Victoria
S.
S. Hallenbeck
Vi toria
V
Hall
Ha eenbeck Jr.,
ri V.
V Swisher
S
Sww
and take action to improve performance. In addition,
take a FREE online self-awareness assessment at
http://insight.lominger.com.

FYI™ For Your Improvement 5th Edition provides

a deeper dive into developmental remedies for
competencies that comprise the leadership
characteristics. It is also an easy-to-use development
and coaching tool for learners, managers, mentors,
coaches, and feedback givers.

Career Architect® Development Planner 5th Edition

was created to help with deeper and more expert
Care
Car err A
Career rchhiitect
Archi
rchi teeect
ttecct® development initiatives. Each chapter provides
Development
p
Edition
dition
5thEdit

Planner the same development content as FYI™ For Your

A Systema
Systematic
ystematic
tic Appro
Approach
oach to De
D
Development
velopment
el pmen
e
Including
udi g 103 Rese
Research-Based
esearch-Base
arch-Ba d and
arch-Base d Experience-
Experience-
e-
Tested
ed De
Development
for learn
velopment
velopmen
pment Plans
n an
learner ss,, manager s,
mentor
to s, and feedb ack
s
k gi
aand
d Coachin

ver s
ve
giver
Coaching
c g Tips
Improvement with four additional learning sections
Michael M. Lombardo
Michae Lom ardo
rdo & Rober
Robert W.
W. Eichinger
Eich
ichinge
that focus on long-term experiential development.

Voices® Multi-Rater 360º Feedback System is a Web-

enabled, competency-based, and research-validated
360º feedback tool that provides learners with a
powerful tool for development and improvement.

COPYRIGHT © 1996–2012 LOMINGER INTERNATIONAL: A KORN/FERRY COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

A D D I T I O N A L R E S O U R C E S 70
H O W T O S TA N D O U T A S A F I R S T - T I M E M A N A G E R

CAREER ARCHITECT® EXPRESS

Prep for Success Series: How to Stand Out As a First-Time Manager

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
COPYRIGHT © 1996–2012
LOMINGER INTERNATIONAL: A KORN/FERRY COMPANY
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

No part of this work may be copied or transferred to any other

expression or form without a license from
Lominger International: A Korn/Ferry Company.

Tel. +1 952-345-3610
Tel. +1 877-345-3610 (US/Canada)
Fax. +1 952-345-3601
www.kornferry.com
www.lominger.com

Career Architect® is the exclusive registered trademark of

Lominger International: A Korn/Ferry Company.

Item number: 82192

COPYRIGHT © 1996–2012 LOMINGER INTERNATIONAL: A KORN/FERRY COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

C A R E E R A R C H I T E C T © E X P R E S S 71
CAREER ARCHITECT®EXPRESS

About Korn/Ferry International

Korn/Ferry International is
a premier global provider of
talent management solutions,
with a presence throughout the
Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe,
the Middle East and Africa.
The firm delivers services and
solutions that help clients cultivate
greatness through the attraction,
engagement, development and
retention of their talent.

Visit kornferry.com
for more information on
Korn/Ferry International.

COPYRIGHT © 1996–2012 LOMINGER INTERNATIONAL: A KORN/FERRY COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

CAREER ARCHITECT© EXPRESS