Are we all managers now ? Chris Smith, Director of Corporate - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Are we all managers now?

Chris Smith, Director of Corporate Services

Typical housing association structure

Finance Corporate Services Housing Management Asset Management Development

Lettings Customer Service Resident Involvement ASB Rent collection & arrears Sheltered & Supported

Neighbourhood 
 Development

Leasehold Lettings Customer Service Resident Involvement ASB Rent collection & arrears Sheltered & Supported Neighbourhood 
 Development Leasehold

Having no Housing Management means… We are all housing managers now

British obsession with managers

• 5 million managers out of workforce of 30 million – 10-fold

increase in 100 years

• Workforce projections 2020: UK - 17% increase in managers;

USA - 11% decrease in managers (US productivity is 22% higher)

• Adactus: 100 department and line managers for 550

employees

• GE factory in Virginia has one manager; 500 staff

What is the role of a manager?

• Planning
• Allocating
• Checking
• Appraising
• Communicating goals
• Authorising

Also known as…

getting people to do things

What would work look like if everybody had to ‘get people to do things’

Get people to do things

vs

Empowerment

Does this mean a return to top-down 
 hierarchical management?

Depends on the manager. No, if manager is getting staff to:

• Identify opportunities; collect information on how service

can be improved

• Managing to outcomes, not process

If we are not all managers now..

What are the expectations of other staff?

• More responsibilities
• Accountable
• Commercial or VFM focus

Yes to each, but doesn’t make them managers

Training & development for managers?

If you started with ‘getting people to do things’..

• Motivation
• Communication/listening
• How to check you’re getting what you want
• Understanding why you’re not getting what you want
• Doing something about it
• Understanding the range of management responses and

which one to use when

Are we all managers now?
 Conclusion

• No
• Managers have a specific role: getting people to do things
• Managers should have a range of ways to do that
• Can and should still have high expectations of staff
• Managers should self-assess their ability at getting people

to do things

• Do we have too many managers doing too little

managing?

Are we all managers now?

Chris Smith, Director of Corporate Services