General Managers

In this unprecedented study of America's leading executives, John Kotter shatters the popular management notion of the effective "generalist" manager who can step into any business or division and run it. Based on his first-hand observations of fifteen top GMs from nine major companies, Kotter persuasively shows that the best manager is actually a specialist who has spent most of his or her career in one industry, learning its intricacies and establishing cooperative working relationships. Acquiring the painstaking knowledge and large, informal networks vital to being a successful manager takes years; outsiders, no matter how talented or well-trained seldom can do as well, this in-depth profile reveals. Much more than a fascinating collective portrait of the day-to-day activities of today's top executives, The General Managers provides stimulating new insights into the nature of modern management and the tactics of its most accomplished practitioners.

Table of Contents:
Contents Preface to the Paperback Edition Preface 1. INTRODUCTION The Participants in the Study A Few Examples: Gaines, Thompson, and Richardson The Findings and Their Presentations: Some Initial Comments The Organization of the Book The Major Themes 2. THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT JOBS: KEY CHALLENGES AND DILEMMAS The Jobs, the Context and the Emergent Demands Job Demands I: Challenges and Dilemmas Associated with the Responsibilities Job Demands II: Challenges and Dilemmas Associated with the Relationships The Overall Demands: A Summary Differences in Job Demands Seven Different Kinds of GM Jobs Different Business and Corporate Settings: The Impact of Size, Age, Performance Level, and Other Factors Summary and Discussion 3. THE GENERAL MANAGERS: PERSONAL AND BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS Common Personal Characteristics Basic Personality Knowledge and Relationships Job-related Reasons for the Similarities Common Background Characteristics Childhood Family Environment Educational and Career Experiences Possible Reasons for the Background Similarities Differences in Personal and Background Characteristics Age-related Differences Job-related Reasons for Individual Differences Main Factors Creating Misfits Summary and Discussion 4. GENERAL MANAGERS IN ACTION: PART I -- SIMILARITIES IN BEHAVIOR The Approach Agenda Setting Network Building Execution: Getting Networks to Implement Agendas Underlying Reasons for the Basic Approach Forces Behind the Agenda-setting Process Forces Behind the Network-building Process Forces Behind the Execution Process Manifestations of This Approach in Daily Behavior The Twelve Visible Patterns in How They Use Their Time A Specific Example Job-related Reasons for the Similarities Patterns Directly Related to Their Approach to the Job The Efficiency of Seemingly Inefficient Behavior Summary and Discussion 5. GENERAL MANAGERS IN ACTION: PART II -- DIFFERENCES IN BEHAVIOR The Basic Patterns The Range of Differences Antecedents Tom Long The Job and Its Context Tom Tom's Approach to the Job Daily Behavior Richard Papolis The Job and Its Context Richard Richard's Approach to the Job Daily Behavior Long and Papolis: A Few Final Observations Differences in Behavior, Their Antecedents, and Performance Summary and Discussion f0 6. SUMMARY, DISCUSSION, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR INCREASING GM PERFORMANCE Summary Job Demands The Personal Characteristics of Effective General Managers Similarities in the Behavior of Effective General Managers Differences in Behavior The Overall Findings: A Summary Comment Implications for Corporate Selection, Development, and Staffing Practices Finding GMs: Insiders or Outsiders Developing GMs Designing and/or Selecting Training Programs Matching People and Jobs Implications for Managing General Managers Helping New GMs Get Up to Speed The Role of Formal Planning and Performance Appraisal Allowing Appropriate Differences Minimizing the "I Can Do Anything" Syndrome Implications for Formal Education Admissions The Curriculum Career Management Broadening Perspectives Implications for Management Theory and Research Key Implications for Managerial Behavior Theory Key Implications for Research Topics Key Methodological Implications APPENDIX A THE STUDY The Process of Inquiry An Example of the Methodology in Action The Process in Retrospect: A Few Reflections APPENDIX B INTERVIEW GUIDES For Associates of the GMs For the General Managers APPENDIX C QUESTIONNAIRES The Strong-Campbell The Occupational Scales Other Scales The Background Questionnaire APPENDIX D RÉSUMÉS FOR THE GENERAL MANAGERS Gerald Allen Bob Anderson John Cohen Dan Donahue Frank Firono Terry Franklin Chuck Gaines Paul Jackson Tom Long Jack Martin Richard Papolis Richard Poullin Michael Richardson B.J. Sparksman John Thompson APPENDIX E APPRAISING GM PERFORMANCE The Method Employed The Rating Notes Bibliography Index