Relationships: More Than Just Your Specialty

Expanding beyond the technical to the non-technical part of the organization is important for new managers. In fact, it is most likely as one moves toward the corporate suite one will change in peer relationships from primarily scientific to ones that are considerably less so – with exposure to more general aspects of corporate and commercial areas. A specific role of the manager is to reach out and integrate within this new network, particularly since these are as new peers by which the efforts on the technical side need to be understood. While our efforts no doubt still reflect the scientific and/or engineering expertise within our own groups, enhancing our relationships with the other areas of the firm provides an important bond between technical manager and these non-technical personnel, which enhances the milieu of the entire organization.