The differences between accidental managers in the wider corporate world ‘versus’ the professional services industry

Whilst accidental managers exist in the wider general corporate world and the professional services industry (built environment, real estate, town planning) there are a few different impacts, constraints and risks to each.

The shared definition in both contexts is:

• Promotion was due to technical expertise, tenure or professional credibility.

• The person was not trained or prepared for people management or leadership.

• Learns about management/leadership on the job and usually carried out informally.

Struggles in both aspects are similar, with accidental managers struggling in areas such as:

• Letting go of technical work, feeling like they are losing their 'professional' identity or guilt at stepping back from the delivery of their technical 'fee earning' work. This could result in micro management of their new team or burnout on their part. Instead they develop new skills in clown management - a juggling act!
• Disengaged teams begin to form, with inconsistent feedback, under performance and lack of support arises with those previous high performers left feeling invisible.

In the corporate world, accidental managers primarily affect performance and morale, whereas the professional services industry, and in particular the built environment and town planning, the differences affect people, places and public trust.

Whatever world you live in, if you are unhappy at staying an accidental manager, feeling culturally discouraged, learning the hard way or just getting on with it, I'd love to hear from you, your pain points and your projects. I may be able to help you fill some of those skills gaps by offering YOU the support you need to achieve, grow and empower not only yourself, but your team AND organisation.

Contact me to discuss how we can swerve the pitfalls and drive the performance.