Successful transition from a technical expert to first line management.

Abstract

Abstract First-line managers face challenges in their process of transitioning to management. It is even more difficult for technical experts who have been performing at their peak in their technical careers – and now they have moved into a management position which is required. These skills may decide their fate in their management careers. The purpose of this research was to identify and make recommendations on the key set of skills that could support a successful transition from being a technical expert to first-line management. The objectives included identifying how to make the transition as seamless as possible, by using the right criteria to select the right expert for the first-line management job at hand. Another objective was to determine the key challenges that hinder success and to gauge the effectiveness of the interventions and programmes put in place to facilitate successful transitioning to management. The salient findings of this study were that most technical expert transitions to management through promotion, and the selection criteria used, were reasonable. It was also found that there were still a few interpersonal skill challenges that the newly appointed first line managers were encountering. The main recommendation is to create a transitioning programme that will facilitate and attend to the individual needs of each expert in transition. In order to improve effectiveness and to leverage the benefits of the programmes that are provided in a form of classroom learning, projects could be assigned to potential leaders, so as to provide the opportunity to exercise the newly-learned leadership skills. Key words: Technical expert, first-line management, transition, seamless, career, leadership, management.