A dialogue with a management student (June 27, 2016, Wenzhou, China)

A management student asked these two questions about Managing People in his Student Club (Campus News/Media). 

Q1. A candidate who will take over my president position has no idea about 'management'. Should I accept it or choose another one who knows management? 

Dr. Choi: First of all, I want to say this: "Knowing is one thing; Doing is a totally different thing". 

A person who would be a good leader does not need to know the specific knowledge about "Modern Management" such as HRM. 

Personally, I believe 'Everybody must be a leader in their function". I think the biggest role of "President of your Club" is to act as the best helper / coach / servant for your club members. 

In this sense, anybody can be a president if s/he can help your people to perform their job. 

It's an embarrassing truth in fundamental philosophy of management. But it is perfectly fine if one can exercise 'common-sense: treat people as you want to be treated. :) 

Q2. Isn't the HR a supporting department? But, HR department commonly has a more power than any other department. It's annoying to get control from HR people. 

Dr. Choi: You raised a quite 'debating' issue in management - the Power of HR Department. 

By definition, HR department is taking a supporting function that providing services to other direct functions like "Manufacturing, Customer Service, Sales. 

However, HR department frequently has a more power than any other direct functions simply because HR is quite close to the "Top-Management: The core of Power". Many HR works are to completing the order from Top-management, and HR department plays an 'agent' or 'gate-keeper' role for Top-management. 

You may understand the HR phenomena by using "Leader-Member Exchange Theory". Simply because HR has a more close relationship with top-management, HR usually have a more power. :)

Jeonghwan (Jerry) Choi, PhD, MBA, ME