“So, as you see me struggle with my new role as a manager, what do you see as my biggest challenge?” asked Joel.

“The biggest mistake most companies make is underestimating the level of work required for success in a role. The biggest mistake most managers make is underestimating the level of work required in a task,” I replied.

“And level of work can be measured by looking at the Time Span of the task?”

“And don’t be fooled.  For a manager, the task starts earlier and the completion time is much later than for a supervisor.  A supervisor makes sure the production gets done.  A manager creates the system in which production is done.  It’s a much bigger job, a higher level of work.”