My Boss, Technology (Inspired by Harvard Business Review, Jan-Feb 2011)

Technology had advanced so much that is making the people manager obsolete. Let's think about it for a second.

Technology today can monitor, keep track, even have reports of people times, productivity and sometime prioritize base on specified parameters. Scary?

So if you are a manager out there, and I include myself in this equation, what is our future? Does that mean our employees will have no need for us? If you answer YES, then you are RIGHT! Let’s be real, we need to change as well, we can’t stay behind. But the question still stand, where do we go?

First we have to ask, who is our customer? In my mind there are two.

1.      The company we represent and the vision and goals we are imposed

2.      Our employees, who look to us for priority, direction and motivation

Employees today are self directed to a point where they are self managed, they are being their own bosses, the question become where do we, the managers, fit?


Well, I’m learning this the hard way, and there are 4 things managers today need to be active on.

1.      Strong vision and mission

2.      Resources and support

3.      Stay in touch and provide as much help as possible

4.      A self project (creating your signature)

Strong Vision and Mission

Create with your team a organization message map. This will help them set sail in the team’s true north. You can use Franklin Covey, and any other team management tools to get there. If budget is not a concern I recommend to hire a consultant or an organization that do this for a living to facilitate the session. This will ensure that you and all your team members are part of the event.

Resource and Support

Make sure to keep in touch in order to provide any roadblock they encounter. With a self directed team they will be capable of removing most of them, but your help, feedback and passion for their success will go a long way creating credibility with your team, and staying in touch with their work.

Stay in touch and provide as much help as possible

Work on your team, not in your team. Make sure they are in a constant learning, developing new skills and sharpening old ones. Improve your teams reputation and emphasize the importance of their existence. Do not be shy to find opportunities for merger, change and evolution.


Salesperson, you want to be able to sell your teams work and be their number one cheerleader. Always have their success, lesson learn and why the organization needs them in the palm of your hands.

Self-Project

Career project: Find a project you want, outside your teams scope. This is your personal side project you want to have. This project should help you create your signature. Remember the name of the article, and if you, the manager, don’t invest in yourself, you might consider yourself obsolete.