The Manager’s Dilemma

About the Book

Why do so many change efforts in our organizations fail? One of a handful of reasons … unprepared managers. Managers often feel their leaders cook up changes, unleash these changes, then expect managers to do the heavy lifting. That heavy lifting includes both coming to terms with changes personally, then getting their teams on board as well. This is the “Manager’s Dilemma”. Are managers helpless in this kind of situation? Are they set up to fail and disappoint? The answer is no. Even when senior leaders struggle to do their jobs as sponsors of change, there are plenty of things a manager can do to advance the change agenda and perhaps save the day. Steve King unpacks three key roles managers need to play in moments of change: change communicator, change coach, and change advocate …. and provides some simple tools and tactics for getting this job done.

About the Author

Steve King is the retired executive director for the Center for Professional and Executive Development at the University of Wisconsin’s School of Business and the president of SDK Group, which specializes in helping organizations find solutions for their business-related talent-management issues. Steve teaches at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Northwestern University, and Morehouse College in Atlanta. Steve spent more than twenty-five years leading in corporate settings. He was the senior vice president of human resources for Hewitt Associates, a global HR consulting and outsourcing firm. He also served as the vice president of global talent management for Baxter Healthcare; faculty leader for the Bank of Montreal’s Institute for Learning in Toronto; and vice president of management and professional development for Harris Bank in Chicago. Steve lives in Madison, Wisconsin, and is the author of four other books on management: Brag, Worry, Wonder, Bet; Six Conversations; Alignment, Process, Relationships; and Prevention and Contingencies.