The Making of a Manager: How to Train Tomorrow's Leaders

If laboratory ownership came with a book of unwritten rules, this would be near the top of the list: the best technicians don’t necessarily make the best managers. Skills that make someone exceptional at the bench don’t automatically translate into the ability to motivate and coach other technicians. After all, management is ultimately about people, not production.

A manager’s influence reaches well beyond workflow and deadlines; he or she shapes the culture and day-to-day experience of every employee in the lab. “Always remain mindful that a manager essentially creates the working environment for everyone under their supervision; what do you, as the owner, want that environment and culture to look like?” says Rob Waters, President, Watersedge Dental Laboratory, Ottawa, ON. “Select and develop your managers accordingly.”

That’s why Waters looks beyond technical knowledge to qualities like communication, accountability...