You had neither management nor leadership! K. Kemper
>
>Dear List,
>
>We seem to be all over the place with the Manager vs Leader
>thread. Some of you seem to be frustrated, others put-off, some
>quite defensive and still others have managed to make it appear to
>be an incredible waste of time - a lesson in semantics. And many
>others think the secret is somehow locked in the human psyche or
>found in leadership genes.
>
>So I thought about it some more and decided to take a risk to
>continue this thread a little more, for my own selfish reasons. I
>think that having a better understanding of this will make or
>break a lot of Corporations...and in my position of being
>responsible for 'change' I have a lot of motivation to better
>understand the dynamics of this dilemma. So at the pain and
>discomfort of some, here I am again.
>
>Thankfully, there are enough people on this list to pacify me and
>to continue exploring this complex problem...others are developing
>blisters from pressing the delete key.
>
>I have decided to add another twist to this. I have decided to
>give you some examples of what I am seeing and experiencing and
>then ask you for assistance in understanding what is taking place.
> Perhaps it was an assumption on my part that Leadership and
>Management were in play here, when in reality there may be
>something else involved.
>
>There are two very different management styles that I have seen,
>felt, heard and experienced in the last 15 years. I don't know
>what to call them, but I can describe them. What is even more
>amazing, I have witnessed managers change styles, so I believe it
>IS possible to teach.
>
>Situation A
>
>Top managers (6 or so people) have been in meetings for 3 days.
>When your boss steps out for another cup of coffee, you ask, "What
>is going on?"..to which s/he replies, "Oh, we have a problem that
>we are planning around. I'll explain later." And rumors are
>flying that there is a big layoff coming or a serious problem that
>might drive us out of our jobs, or even close the company. So,
>everyone waits for the WORD.
>
>Finally a meeting is scheduled and it is mandatory that you
>attend. The meeting is an hour and a half long. It becomes
>apparent that we have a problem, but nothing like the ones
>described in the rumors that were floating around. No one saw it
>coming, no one knows why we didn't, but we have this problem and
>somehow it is our fault.
>
>Things are going to change...we are told. We are shown charts and
>graphs, spread sheets and overheads, showing how bad the problem
>is. At the end of it all we are asked, "Any questions?" and no
>one has a question, for fear of dragging this thing on further, or
>appearing stupid. Everyone agrees...we KNEW this was going to
>happen. We blame management for not listening to us. We claim to
>have seen the problem coming for years now.
>
>Later at the watercooler or coffee pot, everyone is asking, "So,
>what do you think about this meeting", and the only correct
>response is "Sounds serious".
>
>Some of us had the privilege of attending this meeting, others
>have to hear it explained to them by us. To explain something to
>someone that you yourself don't understand is easy...all you have
>to do is say, "things are bad...we need to change."
>
>Then everyone does pretty much one of two things: they wait around
>and hope the 'thing' goes away (and continue doing things as they
>always have), never to be mentioned again (which happens more
>often than not), or they observe others and try to appear to be
>busy working on 'it'.
>
>If you take the risk to go to the person who originated the
>concern and ask questions, you see the look of disappointment on
>this persons face and they ask..."Didn't your boss explain it to
>you?" and they immediately respond by calling your boss into the
>room and say, "So-and-so here doesn't understand the "thing".
>Didn't you go over it with him? Please take him back and explain
>it again."
>
>Your boss is now more concerned that you didn't come to him/her
>and takes more time to explain how you should not go above his/her
>head than to explain the 'thing'.
>
>Your department seldom conducts internal meetings, so the only
>time the 'thing' is mentioned again is during your semi-annual
>evaluation. "What are YOU doing to fix the 'THING'?"..since the
>answer is "Not enough", you and your boss outline some 'RESULTS'
>that you want before the next evaluation. IN a nutshell, your
>'results' state: "I will fix the 'thing'".
>
>Every blue moon, your department has a meeting to discuss progress
>on the 'thing'...if the 'thing' is not long forgotten and replaced
>by other 'things'. Everyone dumps problems on the table about why
>the 'thing' is no better...and it is subconsciously assumed that
>by stating problems, you have solved them.
>
>"We now have a better understanding of the 'thing'" your boss says
>and you leave knowing that somehow you and everyone else in the
>meeting let the boss down by having problems with the 'thing'.
>Guess what?!! The next meeting comes around and no one is having
>problems with the 'thing'.
>
>By luck, by chance, by fate, in some area of the Corporation the
>'thing' is actually getting better. Everyone is invited to hear
>how successful Department # has been in fixing the 'thing'. SO
>now we know it can be fixed. So what is wrong with us that we are
>making the 'thing' better? We can no longer use the excuse that
>the 'Thing" is impossible to fix. We know...we are leaving too
>early, mis-managing our time, not prioritizing, etc. We get to go
>to a Franklin planning session. Now we know the exact dates and
>times that we didn't fix the 'thing'.
>
>Now, with the pressure on...we all look to see who we can blame
>for the 'thing' not getting better in our department. IF only
>Sales would....or accounting did things this way....the thing
>would improve for us. Now we know...we cannot possibly 'fix' the
>'thing' with so much against us. The 'thing' is not even our
>problem..it is theirs...that is why they were able to improve
>it...they caused it.
>
>Every time an emergency crops up...everyone's adrenalin pumps
>in...now we have a chance to really "bite" the 'thing', and guess
>what...it happened because of someone else...so now I can fix it
>and really shine.
>
>Eventually the 'thing' gets worked out and the manager takes
>another promotion. So, many people highly regard, fear and
>respect this manager, who knows so much about 'things' as to
>identify them for us and insist that we fix them.....as evident in
>our semi-annual evaluation.
>
>
>SITUATION B
>
>A Cross-functional team is brought together to analyze Customer
>data. The team defines the Customers standards and then looks at
>our performance to determine whether or not we are meeting the
>Customers needs.
>
>Our boss comes back to our department and explains the 'gap' and
>says, "I know that as a team, we can design a process to fill this
>gap". For several days in a row, we meet, argue, debate, fight,
>complain, whine, toss-out ideas and explore. Finally, we come to
>a conclusion that we can all live with. We share our process with
>other departments and argue, fight, debate, brainstorm and develop
>a common goal. We turn the problem into a vision where there is
>no room for the "thing" to exist...and we have determined
>measurables that will tell us if we are getting closer to fixing
>the 'thing' or further away.
>
>We meet regularly to discuss where we are in regards to the
>'thing'. Our boss insists that when we are getting further away
>from the 'thing' we need to look at our process and come up with
>some type of Corrective Action.
>
>I find myself talking about the 'thing' to my family. I find my
>eyes being drawn to articles in papers and magazines where others
>have experienced the 'thing' and fixed it. All of a sudden I have
>a lot of ideas and information to share with my team.
>
>Our boss wants to hear our ideas. S/he wants to know what kind of
>help we will need. S/he trusts that we can do it. When we feel
>down, s/he shows us how far we have already come.
>
>Our boss also tells us to remember what we did that works, so we
>can repeat it and share with other teams.
>
>My boss says...it is five o'clock...go home and get some rest, you
>will need it tomorrow when we get together on this 'thing' again.
>
>SOME CONCLUSIONS
>
>The 'thing' or problem is the same in both situations...but in one
>situation I feel helpless. I think that if I cannot find the
>person to blame, then I will get blamed. I don't want any share
>in the responsibilty because I don't want my name attached in any
>way to the 'thing'. I never really know how close or far away I
>am from fixing the 'thing'. My boss in both situations is the
>same person...and believe it or not it has happened.
>
>I thought that my boss in the first situation was a manager and in
>the second a leader...I don't know. I just know he behaved
>differently.
>
>I too have changed my style within the last 3 - 5 years. Being a
>leader is difficult because the focus is more on nurturing people
>relationships and bringing them together to work on processes,
>than it is on results and finding blame for what doesn't work.
>
>Whattya think?
>
>Rick Corcoran
>
corcoranre@excelinc.com
>
>
--
Talk entrepreneurshp with me
entre@aztec.asu.edu
602-279-0561 office fax 602-955-5459