the 3 forms of management development

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The 3 forms of Management Development


Regularly after a particularly impressive display of management development skills, managers come to me saying: “Wow, I’d like to be able to do what you are doing…” which is immediately followed by: “…but I couldn’t.”

To that, I answer: “Of course, you couldn’t.” and I feel great knowing that I have eliminated potential competition.

But, for the sake of my immortal soul, I have decided to share (one of) my trade secrets, doing management development mostly only requires the ability to draw 3 geometric forms…


Form #1 – The triangle

The triangle is a bit tricky, but it is essential to development in general and to management in particular, here is how it looks like…

with a little bit of creativity you can repurpose it into a great MD

tool, see how on the following page.


A few horizontal lines, a bit of color, et voilà!

Self actualisation

Self esteem

Love and belonging

Safety needs

Physiological needs

Board

Executives

Senior Management

Management

Staff

Maslow Pyramid of needs

99% oforganisations

Action

Strategy

Vision

Network and Relationships

Self-Awareness

You’ll find many variations of that one (don’t know who figured out the original?) But, note thefancy disassembled triangle...


What’s important about pyramids?

#1 - Although Maslow’s pyramid of needs is conceptually flawed, it is still a nice simple way to do a bit of psychology 101.

#2 - Pyramids are boring...and a symbol of the past

#3 – If you were graphically skilled you could go towards desassembled 3D style pyramids...entertainment garanteed!

#4 – If you were really skilled, you’d never draw a pyramid unless it’s upside-down.


Form #2 – The square

The square is the most commonly used form, probably due to the fact that it’s technically the easiest one to master even though it’s got more lines than the triangle.

Let’s see how the greatest minds of management

development have used the square


For entertainment purpose, a quiz – find which square belongs to whom…

Urgent & Important

Important but not urgent

Urgent but not

important

Not Urgent &

not important S1

S2S3

S4

Strengths Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

Internal

External

Do you notice a pattern here?


Let’s see if you got them right…

Urgent & Important

Important but not urgent

Urgent but not

important

Not Urgent &

not important S1

S2S3

S4

Strengths Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

Internal

External

Ken Blanchard“Situational leadership”

Stephen Covey“7 habits of highly effective people”

Albert Humphrey“SWOT analysis”


What to remember about squares?

#1 – A proper square needs a cross down the middle

#2 – The ability to draw a nifty square can make you successful and rich

#3 – If you have not done it already, you should read Covey and Blanchard’s work or follow their training, that together with Peter Senge, Joseph Grenny, Daniel Pink, Peter Drucker, John Kotter, and Timothy Gallwey (... to start with)

#4 – A 3D square is a lot simpler to draw than a 3D triangle

#4 – Consider an easily accessible and creative alternative to the square, the lozenge

Of course it needs a cross down the middleto be used in a MD context


Form #3 – the circle

Last but not least, the circle always comes around with her cyclic friends


To have any sort of management development effect, a circle needs to be associated with more circles

Experience Competencies

Intelligence

Performance

Self

friends

allies

relations

These two flavors are the most popular ones, (you can draw arrows around the circles to make them fancier)


…and that’s it, with a little practice you will soon manage these 3 basic forms, which will get you a long way into management development.

For more complex forms of management developmentsee you at ManagementEdge!

Thank you!

the 3 forms of management development

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