Does That Mean GM Managers Are Bad Managers?
I suppose, by one definition, the answer to that question would have to be yes. But, in my experience, GM managers have usually been very good managers, frequently outstanding ones. Their reputation today, however, is as something of a laughing stock, with ousted Chairman Rick Wagoner the global poster boy for American exec ineptitude. In this column you’ve met my friend Lou Farinola. You will probably never meet a more capable manager. Lou likes to have – as he puts it – a “lot on his plate.” He could capably manage a huge amount of work being performed by people all around him as he managed down, sideways, and even up. What’s the “truth” about GM managers in general – good managers or bad? Somewhere in between? I suppose you could think if it that way. But, “somewhere in between” is not a very satisfying conclusion. Rather, no doubt both views express truth (that’s not the same as “somewhere in between”). They are simply looking at it from different angles, at times seeing different
