As high tech workers gain increased numbers and visibility at so many companies, it is inevitable that many of them will start migrating to the management side. But will they have the people skills necessary to serve them as well as their computer and other technical skills?
According to a recent Wall Street Journal article many of these techies will need grooming before they are ready to assume greater positions of leadership. Many others, of course, will have developed experience in managing teams along the way, and are ready for greater responsibility as CIO's or in other high level positions.
Developing new skills
Enter a new market, coaching for techies. One such consultant building a practice from this phenomenon is Dr. Fred Kiel, of KRW International. His firm offers personalized coaching services to companies seeking to improve the management skills of their fast track technical people, such as Internet visionaries. The training features extremely detailed interviews and interactions with the trainee, colleagues, and even family members. Traditional large consulting firms are also starting to offer such training as well.
Dr. Kiel described the position of many high tech individuals in the Wall St. Journal article, as they are challenged to learn critical management skills in greatly compressed time schedules: "This is the plight of the Internet entrepreneur. Becoming proficient in management has historically been a 15-year learning curve. Clients tell us, 'You know, the last time I was in the board room, I was wiring it.' "
