Peter Drucker on Managing Oneself

Update: I revised and expanded upon this post in March, 2010.

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I never met Peter Drucker, never even heard him speak, but I'm truly going to miss him.  He made a big difference in my life, at least over the last six years.  In the March-April 1999 issue of the Harvard Business Review, Drucker published an article entitled "Managing Oneself" (reprinted in January 2005) that I've read at least once a year ever since.  It's only 10 pages or so, and I encourage  you to buy a copy and read the whole thing--best $7 and 15 minutes you'll ever spend--but here are the passages that have had the greatest impact on me:

On Excellence

One should waste as little effort as possible on improving areas of low competence.  It takes far more energy and work to improve from incompetence to mediocrity than it takes to improve from first-rate performance to excellence.  And yet most people--especially most teachers and most organizations--concentrate on making incompetent performers into mediocre ones.  Energy, resources, and time should go instead into making a competent person into a star performer.

On Careers

[M]ost people, especially highly gifted people, do not really know where they belong until they are well past their mid-twenties.  By that time, however, they should know the answers to the three questions: What are my strengths?  How do I perform?  and, What are my values?  And then they can and should decide where they belong.

Or rather, they should be able to decide where they do not belong...

Equally important, knowing the answers to these questions enables a person to say to an opportunity, an offer, or an assignment, "Yes, I will do that.  But this is the way I should be doing it.  This is the way it should be structured.  This is the way the relationships should be.  These are the kind of results you should expect from me, and in this time frame, because this is who I am."

Successful careers are not planned.  They develop when people are prepared for opportunities because they know their strengths, their method of work, and their values.

On Planning

A plan can usually cover no more than 18 months and still be reasonably clear and specific.  So the question in most cases should be, Where and how can I achieve results that will make a difference within the next year and a half?  The answer must balance several things.  First, the results should be hard to achieve--they should require "stretching," to use the current buzzword.  But also, they should be within reach.  To aim at results that cannot be achieved--or that can be only under the most unlikely circumstances--is not being ambitious, it is being foolish.  Second, the results should be meaningful.  They should make a difference.  Finally, results should be visible and, if at all possible, measurable.  From this will come a course of action: what to do, where and how to start, and what goals and deadlines to set.

On Second Careers

We hear a great deal of talk about the midlife crisis of the executive.  It is mostly boredom.  At 45, most executives have reached the peak of their business careers, and they know it.  After 20 years of doing very much the same kind of work, they are very good at their jobs.  But they are not learning or contributing or deriving challenge and satisfaction from the job... That is why managing oneself increasingly leads one to begin a second career [typically by moving from one kind of organization to another; by developing a parellel career, often in a nonprofit; or by starting a new venture, again often a nonprofit]...

No one can expect to live very long without experiencing a serious setback in his or her life or work... At such times, a second major interest--not just a hobby--may make all the difference...

In a knowledge society...we expect everybody to be a success.  This is clearly an impossibility.  For a great many people, there is at best an absence of failure.  Wherever there is success, there has to be failure.  And then it is vitally important for the individual, and equally for the individual's family, to have an area in which he or she can contribute, make a difference, and be somebody.  That means finding a second area--whether in a second career, a parallel career, or a social venture--that offers an opportunity for being a leader, for being respected, for being a success.

Comments

[M.Ferro]

I have been recently exposed to Peter Drucker through one of my classes at my university, and I have to say that he opened up my mind to so many new things. My understanding of myself and those who work with me has changed. This should be the kind of knowledge that should be shared with younger students.

[Rajan]

A good summary that reflects the way you have enjoyed and assimilated some of the nuggets offered by Peter Drucker .
Personally I your post quite useful.

I was preparing to lead a session for Middle level executives in HP , Bangalore India on Managing Self and Leading others and your experience based comments really helped me shape my ideas . Thank you .

In January , there was a Podcast on Remebering Peter Drucker - Tom Peters , Marshall Goldsmith the well regarded Exec Coach and David Maister , a credible and committed Consulatant spoke about Drucker's Influence . I enjoyed it and have a copy that I can forward if it interests you .

An interesting story on Albert Einstein that applies to some of the Questions that Drucker wants you to answer .At one time , in response to a comment that he is repeating the question paper that was given the previous year , he is reported to have said , " Sure , The Question is the same . But the answer is Different !"
Rajan Varadarajan
Synthesis Consulting
Bangalore India

[Ed]

Thanks for your gracious comment, Rajan! I'm glad my post was useful in preparing for your session--and I'd love to know how your audience responded. I'd also love to hear the podcast on Remembering Drucker. I've found David Maister's website a great resource, and Marshall Goldsmith has been one of the key figures whose work has encouraged me to pursue executive coaching as a second career. Good to make your acquaintance this way--thanks again!

[steve smith]

Ed,
Wow is my comment on your post late, but just came across your blog via Tom Peters. Thanks for honoring Peter Drucker. Although I never met him, Drucker influenced my thinking more than anyone else in business.

One of my favorite quotes (some paraphrased) from Drucker comes from his book Innovation and Entrepreneurship (which is one of the great books ever written on the topic). I thought you might appreciate it.

"What we see has to be subjected to rigorous, logical analysis. Intuition isn’t good enough. In fact, intuition is no good at all if we use it as another way of saying what we want something to be, rather than acknowledging it’s only our perception. The truth comes from discovering the difference between what most everyone is quite sure is reality, and what has become a new reality. Finding the new reality requires the willingness to say, 'I don’t know enough to analyze, but I shall find out. I’ll go out, look around, ask questions, and listen.'"

Drucker always had a way of enlightening our common sense and helping us see the truth about management (and life) while at the same time making sure we didn't overcomplicate it. What a great mind and human being.

Anyway, thanks again and best wishes in your practice.

Steve

[JETT]

IMO, the most important thing Peter Drucker ever said was (I'm paraphrasing):

"Effeciency is doing something right. Effectiveness is doing the right thing. There is nothing more futile than to correctly do something that should not have been done at all."

Long live Peter Drucker!

[Joe Green]

Hi Ed,

I was reading the comments on this post and saw that Marshall Goldsmith is one of your influences. Have you had a chance to check out his new book...What Got You Here Won't Get You There? It covers 20 workplace habits Marshall thinks successful people need to break to become even more successful. To be bold and make a suggestion for one of your entries it would be interesting to hear what you think about the book. Keep up the good work.

Joe

[Ed Batista]

Thanks for the suggestion, Joe. Marshall has been a big influence on me, but oddly enough, I've only read his articles--never an entire book. I'll put the new one on my reading list. I actually had the chance to hear him speak in SF a few weeks ago, and he was quite inspiring--no surprise. Thanks for the kind words as well--I appreciate it!

Ed