Macho managers
by Cindy Mahoney
"Tough talking", "no-nonsense" and "gets the job done" are euphemisms that are often associated with a forceful leader. But where does strong leadership stop and bullying begin? How many managers get the job done but leave staff quivering in their wake? Does a tough management style achieve good results?
Research by Fairplace Consultancy with Cass Business School in the United Kingdom identified 30 key characteristics of an ideal manager, covering behaviour, values, skills and experience. But the respondents in the research could also identify at least one colleague, past or present, whose behaviour and integrity left much to be desired. Some of the phrases they used to describe these managers included: "he ruled by fear", he was opinionated and arrogant", he was dishonest and devious", "he blamed his staff", "he took credit for his subordinates' work" and "he would whisper poison in the CEO's ear".
In all cases such behaviour was linked to ineffectiveness in the role. This represented a major change from the situation 15 years ago, when these characteristics were regularly demonstrated by people who were perceived as "great leaders" or, at worst, "hard-nosed business performers". So it would seem that the tide has turned.
The research findings help to dispel any persistent myths about the superiority of the macho manager, but they also raise the question of how these people managed to secure such responsible positions in the first place. Was it the pressure of leadership, coupled with a lack of preparation for such a role, that caused them to display such negative characteristics, or were these in place already?
As people move into senior positions they often find themselves outside their comfort zone. They are confronted with unfamiliar issues that go beyond their functional expertise, a high degree of uncertainty and complex decisions of significant consequence, which are highly visible in the sense that everyone knows who carries the can if things go wrong.
Managers who don't build a strong team around themselves to harness the support and talent of others can, therefore, find themselves in an isolated and stressful position. But adopting bullying tactics is not the answer. Inappropriate behaviour in the workplace can take many forms.
Actions that the recipient may construe as bullying include:
Insults – critical or demeaning comments that are intended to humiliate or ridicule.
Threatening behaviour.
Harassment – eg, constant pestering or psychological mind games.
Rejection – eg, social exclusion.
Through such behaviour the bully is trying to create an imbalance of power that they can exploit for personal benefit. For the individual being bullied, the physical and emotional impact can be huge. Their team, the organisation and, often, relatives and friends can also be seriously affected.
The personal consequences include:
High level of stress.
A loss of self confidence.
Depression, including sleeping difficulties and weight problems.
The deterioration of personal relationships.
The consequences at team and organisational level can include:
Low morale.
Absenteeism.
Increased staff turnover.
A reduction in productivity.
A negative cultural impact on those who observe bullying and see no action being taken.
An increase in the number of grievance cases and, potentially, employment tribunal claims if problems are not addressed adequately.
If a company helps its managers to develop positive and inclusive behaviour, it will benefit those individuals, their teams and the business as a whole, because it will avoid the serious costs of macho management. There's a wide a range of tools, techniques and interventions on the market that can help employers to put a stop to bullying. Here are some that your organisation might want to consider:
360-degree feedback. This is one of the most effective ways for a leader to understand how their behaviour affects everyone around them. If the organisation's culture does not support the delivery of face-to-face feedback, an online tool is a powerful alternative. The best ones provide the opportunity for self-evaluation and input from managers, peers and staff, as well as from stakeholders such as clients.
Psychometric tools. These help people to understand more about their own values, motivators and behavioural preferences. There are also a number of self-assessment tools to help analyse skills gaps. They can provide invaluable insights and increase self-awareness among developing leaders.
Coaching. Studies suggest that the most effective intervention for a leader is a coaching programme tailored to their specific needs.
Mentoring. Mentors can provide advice and guidance, help instil confidence and offer reassurance. A mentoring relationship can be instrumental to the success of the recipient's career, according to research.
Career management. Encouraging leaders to take charge of their own career development is another powerful approach – as long as they are given the resources to do so.
Soft skills training. The continuing development of both interpersonal and technical skills is a vital ingredient in ensuring that your organisation's leaders to their jobs effectively.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Different Perspective ?
Respecting Your Employees’ Time
Ever wish that the people who report to you would make better, more productive use of their time at work? Of course! Ever consider that YOU may be an obstacle to that happening?
Probably not … but you should! Here’s an employee perspective – a letter to you – to think about and remember:
So much work, so little time! If you’ve ever felt there’s just not enough time in the day to get your work done, you’re not alone. I may not work long hours as frequently as you, and yes, I do sometimes take off as soon as my shift ends. But that doesn’t make my time any less valuable than yours. I’ve got a job to do, and you expect me to do it well. Part of my job involves doing things you need done. Many times you expect me to drop whatever I’m doing in order to meet your needs. That’s okay if the tasks to be done are truly important. But I get frustrated when you take a “top priority” approach with every assignment. Sometimes I’m still in the middle of one “do it now” when you give me another one. And somewhere in all that, I’m expected to do my regular work, too.
Ask me what I’m working on before you give me an assignment, and I’ll be much more likely to believe that my work truly is important.
Ask if I have a few minutes to discuss your needs instead of walking up and telling me what to do, and I’ll be much more inclined to believe that time is a precious resource that must be respected and used wisely.
Act like my time isn’t important, and I’ll resent it. Even worse, I just might follow your lead.Ever feel your management time isn’t always respected?
Try walking awhile in my employee shoes!
Ever wish that the people who report to you would make better, more productive use of their time at work? Of course! Ever consider that YOU may be an obstacle to that happening?
Probably not … but you should! Here’s an employee perspective – a letter to you – to think about and remember:
So much work, so little time! If you’ve ever felt there’s just not enough time in the day to get your work done, you’re not alone. I may not work long hours as frequently as you, and yes, I do sometimes take off as soon as my shift ends. But that doesn’t make my time any less valuable than yours. I’ve got a job to do, and you expect me to do it well. Part of my job involves doing things you need done. Many times you expect me to drop whatever I’m doing in order to meet your needs. That’s okay if the tasks to be done are truly important. But I get frustrated when you take a “top priority” approach with every assignment. Sometimes I’m still in the middle of one “do it now” when you give me another one. And somewhere in all that, I’m expected to do my regular work, too.
Ask me what I’m working on before you give me an assignment, and I’ll be much more likely to believe that my work truly is important.
Ask if I have a few minutes to discuss your needs instead of walking up and telling me what to do, and I’ll be much more inclined to believe that time is a precious resource that must be respected and used wisely.
Act like my time isn’t important, and I’ll resent it. Even worse, I just might follow your lead.Ever feel your management time isn’t always respected?
Try walking awhile in my employee shoes!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
On self knowledge
And a man said, "Speak to us of Self-Knowledge."
And he answered, saying:
Your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and the nights.
But your ears thirst for the sound of your heart's knowledge.
You would know in words that which you have always know in thought.
You would touch with your fingers the naked body of your dreams.
And it is well you should.
The hidden well-spring of your soul must needs rise and run murmuring to the sea;
And the treasure of your infinite depths would be revealed to your eyes.
But let there be no scales to weigh your unknown treasure;
And seek not the depths of your knowledge with staff or sounding line.
For self is a sea boundless and measureless.
Say not, "I have found the truth," but rather, "I have found a truth."
Say not, "I have found the path of the soul." Say rather, "I have met the soul walking upon my path."
For the soul walks upon all paths.
The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed.
The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.
And he answered, saying:
Your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and the nights.
But your ears thirst for the sound of your heart's knowledge.
You would know in words that which you have always know in thought.
You would touch with your fingers the naked body of your dreams.
And it is well you should.
The hidden well-spring of your soul must needs rise and run murmuring to the sea;
And the treasure of your infinite depths would be revealed to your eyes.
But let there be no scales to weigh your unknown treasure;
And seek not the depths of your knowledge with staff or sounding line.
For self is a sea boundless and measureless.
Say not, "I have found the truth," but rather, "I have found a truth."
Say not, "I have found the path of the soul." Say rather, "I have met the soul walking upon my path."
For the soul walks upon all paths.
The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed.
The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Word it Right
An Apple a Day Keeps the Customer
A large grocery store opened a new outlet in my neighborhood. A small basket of red apples sits by the cash register. The sign in the basket reads:
‘Free apple if our staff at check-out did not greet you and say thank you.’
But the apple basket stays full. Not because the check-out staff are always smiling (trust me), but because the act of taking an apple is tantamount to ‘catching the staff doing something wrong’! Who wants to irritate grocery check-out staff when they’re ringing up your order?
To get the impact the store really wants, the sign could be re-written like this:
‘Thank you for shopping with us. We want you to have a good shopping experience. If, at any point, we are so busy serving you that we forget to greet you or say “Thank you!”, please let one of these delicious apples put a smile upon your face. We will smile back!’
The store would give away more apples with this sign, but would gain more smiles, too.
Better text, better impact.
A large grocery store opened a new outlet in my neighborhood. A small basket of red apples sits by the cash register. The sign in the basket reads:
‘Free apple if our staff at check-out did not greet you and say thank you.’
But the apple basket stays full. Not because the check-out staff are always smiling (trust me), but because the act of taking an apple is tantamount to ‘catching the staff doing something wrong’! Who wants to irritate grocery check-out staff when they’re ringing up your order?
To get the impact the store really wants, the sign could be re-written like this:
‘Thank you for shopping with us. We want you to have a good shopping experience. If, at any point, we are so busy serving you that we forget to greet you or say “Thank you!”, please let one of these delicious apples put a smile upon your face. We will smile back!’
The store would give away more apples with this sign, but would gain more smiles, too.
Better text, better impact.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
TRUE LEADERSHIP
True Leadership Means Coming From a Place of Responsibility
By: Rob Hubert
Here's a tough question for you. If you are stuck in a traffic jam; Are you responsible for it?
In a recent discussion with my friend Ed Garner who is also a Life Coach, he asked a simlar question. Of course I thought, "No", I didn't cause this traffic jam, therefore I'm not responsible for it.
The most important lesson of leadership is taking responsibility for results and looking at results from an accountability perspective. In the book "Leadership and Self Deception", from the Harbinger Institute, the main character gets a new job with a company that has figured out why people have a tendency to go "Victim".
The Harbinger Institute does a great job of communicating that it's not what you do that matters, but it's why you do it. We deceive ourselves in subtle ways into thinking that we're doing the right thing for the right reason. We really do know what the right thing to do is, but this constant self-justification becomes such an ingrained habit that it's hard to break free --it's as though we're trapped in a box, the authors say. In a sense, this self-deception causes me to go victim.
I become a victim anytime that I blame someone else for the situation or circumstances that I find myself in. I notice I'm in victim by my words and thoughts. When I use the word "THEY", I catchmyself instantly and I know I'm not coming from a place of true responsibility. Replacing "THEY" with "I" changes my perspective and the context in which I speak.
For example, the elevators in our building have been undergoing renovation for over a year and everyone that I work with knows that I have a love/hate relationship with the elevators. I also have a lot of appointments outside of the office and I take responsibility for being on time for those appointments. I sometimes work until the very last second until I have to leave and still be on time, often forgetting the elevators may cause a delay. I leave the office in a haste only to get stuck waiting for the elevator. My thoughts turn me into a victim of the elevator renovation, "I'm going to be late because THEY are running slow again today" You can always identify a victim thought when someone is late, because there is always an excuse for being late. The tardy person may say, "I'm sorry I was late because of (fill in the blank)".
True Leadership means that I take responsibility for my choices. In my elevator situation, I chose to leave at the last minute and If I'm late, then I'm late because I chose to stay and work a few minutes longer. This is the difference between a VICTIM and a VICTOR. Victim-thinking holds you back and keeps you from getting what it is that you want. I've worked hard to switch out of Victim very quickly and now I very rarely find myself thinking this way and when I do find myself thinking Victim - I'm able to shift to Victor quickly by using the word "I".
Back to the original question: What am I responsible for when I'm caught in the traffic jam? I'm responsible for my choices. If the highway is full of cars and I'm in the middle of it, then I chose to be in it. I'm held accountable to my choices. Same thing goes for you, if you are not meeting expectations in your job, or if you are searching for a job and haven't found one yet, then you are responsible for your results and only you can make the choice to change that. Results are often harsh, but always fair.
By: Rob Hubert
Here's a tough question for you. If you are stuck in a traffic jam; Are you responsible for it?
In a recent discussion with my friend Ed Garner who is also a Life Coach, he asked a simlar question. Of course I thought, "No", I didn't cause this traffic jam, therefore I'm not responsible for it.
The most important lesson of leadership is taking responsibility for results and looking at results from an accountability perspective. In the book "Leadership and Self Deception", from the Harbinger Institute, the main character gets a new job with a company that has figured out why people have a tendency to go "Victim".
The Harbinger Institute does a great job of communicating that it's not what you do that matters, but it's why you do it. We deceive ourselves in subtle ways into thinking that we're doing the right thing for the right reason. We really do know what the right thing to do is, but this constant self-justification becomes such an ingrained habit that it's hard to break free --it's as though we're trapped in a box, the authors say. In a sense, this self-deception causes me to go victim.
I become a victim anytime that I blame someone else for the situation or circumstances that I find myself in. I notice I'm in victim by my words and thoughts. When I use the word "THEY", I catchmyself instantly and I know I'm not coming from a place of true responsibility. Replacing "THEY" with "I" changes my perspective and the context in which I speak.
For example, the elevators in our building have been undergoing renovation for over a year and everyone that I work with knows that I have a love/hate relationship with the elevators. I also have a lot of appointments outside of the office and I take responsibility for being on time for those appointments. I sometimes work until the very last second until I have to leave and still be on time, often forgetting the elevators may cause a delay. I leave the office in a haste only to get stuck waiting for the elevator. My thoughts turn me into a victim of the elevator renovation, "I'm going to be late because THEY are running slow again today" You can always identify a victim thought when someone is late, because there is always an excuse for being late. The tardy person may say, "I'm sorry I was late because of (fill in the blank)".
True Leadership means that I take responsibility for my choices. In my elevator situation, I chose to leave at the last minute and If I'm late, then I'm late because I chose to stay and work a few minutes longer. This is the difference between a VICTIM and a VICTOR. Victim-thinking holds you back and keeps you from getting what it is that you want. I've worked hard to switch out of Victim very quickly and now I very rarely find myself thinking this way and when I do find myself thinking Victim - I'm able to shift to Victor quickly by using the word "I".
Back to the original question: What am I responsible for when I'm caught in the traffic jam? I'm responsible for my choices. If the highway is full of cars and I'm in the middle of it, then I chose to be in it. I'm held accountable to my choices. Same thing goes for you, if you are not meeting expectations in your job, or if you are searching for a job and haven't found one yet, then you are responsible for your results and only you can make the choice to change that. Results are often harsh, but always fair.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
What's missing ?
There is a big difference between asking "What's wrong?" and asking "What's missing?"
"What's wrong?" always makes a judgement. This can be useful andeffective, but it can also drain you of vitality and joy. "What's wrong?" critiques what is and says it should not be so.
It sounds like this: "Oh, (fill in the blank) would be so muchbetter if only (fill in the blank) were different."Sound familiar? Asking yourself "What's wrong?" is easy to do.But it can leave you disappointed (and often takes others downwith you).
"What's missing?" has a completely different flavor: curiosity,wonder, even optimistic. It sounds like this: "What is needed here? What would be helpful?What could we create?""What's missing?" means you are looking forward and creating abetter future.
What's wrong means you are looking backward, andcomplaining about the past. When service problems occur, it's easy to see "What's wrong?" Thestaff was rude, the delivery late, the information incorrect, thepromise broken.But what can be DONE about service problems requires a differentquestion.
"What's missing?" More training is required, management role models is needed, asuperior service culture must be built, and sustained."What's wrong?" (judge, find fault, criticize, blame) or "What's missing?" (look forward, wonder, be curious, invent)
You choose which question to ask many times a day. Choose wisely.
"What's wrong?" always makes a judgement. This can be useful andeffective, but it can also drain you of vitality and joy. "What's wrong?" critiques what is and says it should not be so.
It sounds like this: "Oh, (fill in the blank) would be so muchbetter if only (fill in the blank) were different."Sound familiar? Asking yourself "What's wrong?" is easy to do.But it can leave you disappointed (and often takes others downwith you).
"What's missing?" has a completely different flavor: curiosity,wonder, even optimistic. It sounds like this: "What is needed here? What would be helpful?What could we create?""What's missing?" means you are looking forward and creating abetter future.
What's wrong means you are looking backward, andcomplaining about the past. When service problems occur, it's easy to see "What's wrong?" Thestaff was rude, the delivery late, the information incorrect, thepromise broken.But what can be DONE about service problems requires a differentquestion.
"What's missing?" More training is required, management role models is needed, asuperior service culture must be built, and sustained."What's wrong?" (judge, find fault, criticize, blame) or "What's missing?" (look forward, wonder, be curious, invent)
You choose which question to ask many times a day. Choose wisely.
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