No matter what a company does, it needs people to oversee the smooth functioning of all the activities that are necessary to produce a product or service. General managers have this responsibility. They ensure that—from the concept of a product to its production and delivery and how it’s accounted for—a business’s operations blend together as seamlessly as possible. Providing strategic direction, sharing information, enhancing communication, and making decisions are all hallmarks of the general manager role. Most important, general managers are responsible for making money for the business: they take credit for the profits and must explain any losses.
Due to the level of responsibility expected, employers rarely hire a business school graduate immediately into a general management position. General managers are typically executives with many years of experience. Most employers, however, are hoping to hire future general managers, and one can begin a career with that goal in mind.
(Continued)
There are two main ways for a young person to get into a career in general management: through a functional role and through a general management development program. The first is to start in a functional job—for instance, finance, marketing, or operations—and then segue into a general management role as your experience develops. Explore the amount of flexibility that potential employers offer for you to later manage in other functions. Many organizations are simply looking for talent, and if you perform well at your initial function, they are happy for you to move to other areas of the company as your level of responsibility grows.
The other way to embark on a general management career is by entering a general management development program (GMDP) after graduating from college. GMDPs have grown in popularity, as these programs allow firms to rapidly develop specific skill sets to meet their staffing demands. Most encompass several rotations and last from one to three years. By rotating individuals through the different functional or business units within the firm, the programs provide opportunities to build transferable and functional skills. Also keep in mind that while an awareness of several disciplines is important, general management is a specific career focus just like finance, marketing, or operations.
There are many different paths a general management career can take, so there are various skills and interests required. But there are also some commonalities, including an interest in controlling an enterprise, managing people, and quantitative analysis. General managers must be well versed in a variety of functional areas. They must exhibit strong leadership, interpersonal effectiveness, supervisory ability, initiative, general business knowledge, sound problem solving abilities, great communication skills, and creativity.
A career in general management will be rich in variety, offer a certain level of autonomy, and much influence. The lifestyle may be demanding, however, as leading large divisions or an organization requires many hours and a high level of dedication.
