7 The Transition to Management: The First Year
In her book Becoming a Manager: Mastery of a New Identity, Harvard Business
School professor Linda Hill followed the development of 19 people in their fi rst
year as managers. Her study found that becoming a manager produced a profound
psychological transition that changed the way these managers viewed themselves
and others. As shown in Exhibit 1.6, the evolution of the managers’ thoughts, expectations,
and realities over the course of their fi rst year in management reveals the
magnitude of the changes they experienced.
Initially, the managers in Hill’s study believed that their job was to exercise
formal authority and to manage tasks—basically being the boss, telling others what
to do, making decisions, and getting things done. One of the managers Hill interviewed
said, “Being the manager means running my own offi ce, using my ideas
and thoughts.” Another said, “[Th e offi ce is] my baby. It’s my job to make sure it
works.”56 In fact, most of the new managers were attracted to management positions