 Five Problem Managers
It sometimes seems that the managers we consult for or coach eat spinach and nails for breakfast. They sure wish they could, anyway, stuck as they are between employees who need guidance and job satisfaction, and top management or customers who demand more bang for their buck. Here are a few categories of managers we frequently see and some suggestions for things I've seen work with them.
We call the first group Popeye Managers. Popeye was strong from all the spinach he ate, but he refused to change. "I y'am what I y'am," he said, flexing his muscles. This says: "I'm not going to change. If you don't like it, it's your problem."
The Popeye syndrome will create trouble for an executive. Popeye Managers end up dealing with all kinds of problems - lost staff, business disappointments, and perhaps a trail of broken relationships.
According to the Center for Creative Leadership, executives who take the time to learn about themselves and the effect of their actions can keep their organizations on track. The most adaptable managers are the most likely to succeed.
Consulting for Popeye managers involves allowing them to see that there is room for flexibility in their approach. Through feedback and role models, help them recognize other successful approaches to situations they commonly encounter.
The Flick-it Approach. When managers are drowning in phone calls, fires and papers, they may flick a project at an employee and hope the person can "just handle it."
If managers do not take time to clearly explain expectations and time frames, they are setting both themselves and the employees up for disappointment. When flicked a project, an employee can feel overwhelmed and frustrated, which can lead to resentment and lower-quality work.
When you're working with a manager who uses the Flick-it approach, help him or her develop a more systematic way to delegate. Suggest a checklist of key points to cover. Consider training their staff to ask the questions they need answered.
Any Horse in the Barn Method: Also called the "warm body" syndrome, managers use any horse in the barn when he or she assigns a project to someone whose skills do not match the job. Putting the wrong person on a project is like trying to make a Clydesdale run a race or a thoroughbred haul a load of lumber.
The horse who gets the assignment may feel fearful and set up to fail because the job was suited for a different horse. Ironically, the person who suffers the most is the one who put the wrong horse into the wrong race and now has to redo the project.
When managers use "any horse in the barn" because they don't take the time to adequately determine which the skills of their staff are the skills needed for a task, the answer is obvious. When it's because their group is understaffed or they are accepting or being given the wrong assignments, it's a tougher problem.
The Piñata Effect: Using the piñata effect is like blindfolding everyone in the office, giving them a stick and expecting them to burst the piñata on their first strike in the dark. This is the same as not defining and clarifying goals and planning how to reach them.
By not taking the time to look at all the steps in a process and assess effort needed at each step, the entire organization ends up flailing in the dark. You may see people waiting for assignments during work hours and working overtime to compensate for the lack of direction. The Piñata Effect results in mega-stress and decreased morale.
Helping a manager who uses The Piñata Effect is challenging. It takes time and discipline to plan work carefully. The only hope you can offer is that as they do it more it becomes easier, and the group is often willing to pitch in and help.
The Broken Compass Syndrome: Withholding feedback from subordinates is like dropping them into the deep wilderness without a map or compass. Some managers say: "I'll tell you when something goes wrong. Until then, assume it's right."
Sometimes these managers save up the errors and dump on a person after several months of seething about unmet unstated expectations.
When people do not hear what is working well, what could be done differently, and what to do more of or stop doing, they become demoralized. They may feel it doesn't matter what they do. They may avoid work because they are sure they will fail.
Such unresolved conflicts can fester and burn and destroy the core spirit of the organization. The result is very likely high turnover and low productivity.
When you're consulting to such a group, plan to improve the feedback loop immediately and dramatically. Something big has to change so people will believe that believing is possible again. Build in a method for continuing the feedback to maintain any gains.
There are many other types of managers you'll run across, and they each bring their own unique set of problems…and solutions. That's what gives our jobs such variety and reward.
Copyright © 2000, High Meadow Resources. All rights reserved. Betty Myers, President of Kaleidosystems, consults with executives that are frustrated with low productivity. She designs customized seminars and training geared at leadership, team and individual effectiveness. Call her at 410-997-2052, or email her. |