Problematic management

From LLN

Problematic management

Contents

Many articles in LLN speak to ways to improve your strength as a manager or leader. What about weaknesses?

A few highlights from these notes (from outside the library field):

  • Micromanaging your work as a manager is as dangerous as micromanaging your people.
  • Bad bosses show a range of common behaviors, most commonly failing to keep promises, failing to give credit where due and giving employees the cold shoulder.
  • Job addiction is a problem in general, maybe more so for managers (as they expect employees to be as workaholic as they are).
  • Playing favorites helps nobody in the long run.
  • Many managers are risk-averse.
  • It's easy to focus on a specific problem at the expense of finding effective solutions.
  • Firm goals and the need for quick wins can get in the way of effective long-term performance and compromise ethics.
  • Fewer than half of surveyed senior managers believe their CEOs are effective leaders.

Are you micromanaging yourself?

by Leslie Dillon from Leader's Digest May 2009

The term micromanagement is pretty commonly used these days, but usually it’s reserved for other people, not for ourselves. However, “self-micromanagement” is a reality every manager needs to be able to recognize. It reduces your personal effectiveness and “impedes your ability to get things done, whether you’re working for yourself or with a team.” Here are four ways to avoid falling into the trap:

  1. Keep sight of the big picture, even when you’re doing grunt work. “The classic micromanager tends to zero in on details right away…”
  2. Avoid midstream self-corrections, especially on the first run. “Don’t start tidying a little corner before you’ve built the basic structure.”
  3. If you can’t delegate an entire task, delegate microdecisions. Enlist another set of eyes or ears to make sure you’re on the right track.
  4. Remember that microwork does have its place. You do need to be fastidious about details, but only when it’s appropriate.

“The bad type of micromanagement is often the result of impatience, but the good type requires patience.”

(Steven DeMaio, “Are you micromanaging yourself?” Harvard Business Publishing, Apr. 29, 2009.)

Assumptions leaders should question

by Leslie Dillon from Leader's Digest April 2009

After the spectacular failure of leadership that has led to the current global recession, leadership consultant and coach John Baldoni thinks it’s time to rethink traditional approaches to management by challenging some assumptions about how leaders should manage:

  1. Organizations should set firm goals. According to a study at Penn’s Wharton School, single-mindedly focusing on goals could actually damage individuals and the organization. “Relentless pursuit of goals tempts managers to cross ethical boundaries and abandon ’sound business practices’.”
  2. Quick wins are essential to managers in transition. Building strong relationships is essential, but a study by Mark E. Van Buren and Todd Safferstone suggests that striving for “quick wins” may may indeed cause harm. “The relentless pursuit of a quick win is what ultimately prevents new leaders from benefiting from it… In some cases, the fallout is toxic, and their ability to lead is compromised.”
  3. Senior leaders believe in their CEOs. In fact, people at the top are skeptical about their CEOs’ abililty to lead. Almost half (46%) of senior managers surveyed were doubtful that their CEO could navigate the current crisis, according to a study by Booz & Company.

It’s important for leaders to challenge assumptions, possibly even necessary in times like these. One byproduct of this recession might be the creation of new assumptions to guide our thoughts and actions.

(John Baldoni, “Three big assumptions leaders should question,” Harvard Business blogs, Apr. 6, 2009.)

Deficit thinking: the problem with problems

by Leslie Dillon from Leader's Digest April 2009

An article in BusinessWeek defines “deficit thinking” as focusing on the problem that needs to be solved, rather than seeking new opportunities, which is the far better way to find a successful solution.

Managers are usually taught that to deal with a situation they must first define the problem and get agreement on the definition before they can they successfully solve it. But there are problems with that approach. Rushing to identify the problem can lead you down the wrong path. There is no single formula for solving a problem. For example, the music industry viewed downloading of music as stealing. Lawsuits didn’t stop it. But, by reframing the situation “as a channel management problem,” iTunes provided a satisfactory solution.

How you you address the “problems with problems?” Here are some useful tactics:

  1. Consider alternative framings. Work with several definitions of the problem.
  2. Return to the broader context. Every important problem exists in the context of other problems.
  3. Invest in appreciative inquiries. Instead of “Deficit Thinking,” assess your organization’s strengths so that your focus shifts from the problem to opportunities for success. E.g., the problem of ineffective staff can be better solved by noting people’s contributions than by eliminating unnecessary activities.

“[M]ore attention to positive opportunities may actually result in fewer problems…”

(Fred Collopy, “The problem with problems,” BusinessWeek, Apr. 6, 2009.)

Why leaders lack influence

by Leslie Dillon from Leader's Digest November 2008

Research shows that leaders have little influence over employee behavior. This lack of influence over employees “is at the root of the vast majority of corporate disappointments.” Why do leaders lack influence? Here are five major reasons:

  1. They think it’s not their job. The most influential leaders devote 50 to 75 percent of their time working to influence staff behaviors.
  2. They lack competence. Only one in 20 of those executives studied had a well developed plan for influencing change.
  3. They confuse talking with influencing. “Anyone who’s ever tried to talk a smoker into quitting knows there’s a lot more to behavior change than words.” Just doing a bunch of speeches about “Mission and Values” won’t do the job.
  4. They believe in silver bullets. There are no quick fixes. When leaders depend on just one “source of influence to drive change, they almost always fail.”
  5. They try to influence everyone. The most influential leaders focus their efforts on “two influential groups—their chain of command and their opinion leaders.”

Those leaders who do influence change use multiple sources of influence and they’re “able to affect behavior change quickly and permanently.”

(Ron McMillan and Joseph Grenny, "The influencers: The top five reasons leaders lack influence," Sales & Marketing Management’s Managesmarter, Nov. 16, 2008.)

Editor's note: Although the article uses the word "leaders," this appears under "Management" because it's about managers who don't lead--if you have no influence, you're not a leader.

Low-confidence leadership

by Leslie Dillon from Leader's Digest October 2008

Workers’ confidence in their leaders is at a 10-year-low, according to the 2008-2009 Global Leadership Forecast.

  • Confidence in leaders has declined since 1999. Only 35% of workers report high confidence in the most recent survey. This means “leaders aren’t meeting the needs of the organization.”
  • Leaders are not satisfied with their own development. Fewer than half of leaders believe they’re getting the leadership development they need. They want more opportunities, but “senior management seldom takes responsibility” for this.
  • CEOs don’t send the right messages to leaders. CEOs say they want innovation but focus on the bottom line.
  • The U.S. lags in succession planning. Fewer than half of organizations have succession plans for their leaders. Leaders are often ill-prepared for the roles ahead of them.

(“Low-confidence leadership,” Inside Training Newsletter, Oct. 1, 2008.)

Conflict management

by Leslie Dillon from Leader's Digest October 2008

Do your employees have conflicts from time to time? Office conflict is relatively commonplace, especially within operational teams, and how you manage conflict is important. Some suggestions from the CPP, Inc., Global Human Capital Report, Workplace Conflict and How Businesses Can Harness It to Thrive:

  • Managers think their conflict-management skills are better than they are. While almost 1/3 of managers surveyed believe they’re “skilled at dealing with conflict,” 43% of non-managers think their bosses don’t handle conflict well. [Editor's note: The report summary seems to say that 22% of managers believe they are effectively handling conflict, yet 78% of employees disagree--which suggests that most managers do not think they have good conflict-management skills. Note that the two numbers add up to 100%, for what that's worth.]
  • Unresolved conflicts are costly. Lack of conflict management may cost U.S. companies over “$359 billion per year in manpower hours.”
  • Acknowledging a problem is the first step toward solving it. Not solving a conflict may indicate a serious problem. Workplace conflict is toxic; 14 % of those interviewed have missed work because because of a conflict situation, some even change jobs. “Most conflict occurs in operational teams, which can magnify its impact on how a business functions.”
  • Resolving conflict brings about desirable outcomes. A large majority of respondents report that conflict resolution has brought about “major innovations, better solutions and increased motivation.”

(“Conflict management morass,” Inside Training Newsletter, Oct. 8, 2008.)

New leaders: what kind of boss are you?

by Leslie Dillon from Leader's Digest May 2008

Are you a new boss? How "do you make sure that you don’t repeat the bad habits of the old bosses who drove you crazy?" Bill Taylor, writer, editor and cofounder of Fast Company, says you need "to develop solid answers to five make-or-break questions:"

  1. Why should great people want to work with you? Top leaders know that the most talented staff want to work on exciting projects and to make an impact. Great people want to be "part of something greater than themselves."
  2. Do you know a great person when you see one? It's easy to be "the right kind of leader" if your department is "filled with the right kind of people." "When it comes to evaluating talent, character counts for as much as credentials. Do you know what makes your star performers tick--and how to find more performers who share those attributes?"
  3. Can you find great people who aren’t looking for you? The best performers are usually "in jobs they like." So if you hire only people who are actively looking for jobs, you "risk attracting malcontents and mediocre performers." Instead you need "to win over so-called 'passive' jobseekers'---people from different departments or organizations.
  4. Are you great at teaching great people how your organization works? Your "most highly focused specialists (software programmers, graphic designers)" do their best when they understand how the whole organization operates.
  5. Are you as tough on yourself as you are on your staff? Talented young people have high expectations—for themselves and their organizations. "Which is why they can be so tough on their leaders."

"The ultimate challenge for a new boss who is determined not to be the same as the old boss is to demonstrate those same lofty expectations—for their behavior as leaders.

(Bill Taylor, "Memo to a young leader: what kind of boss are you?," Game Changer, Harvard Business Blogs, May 3, 2008.)

How to resist the urge to overreach

by Leslie Dillon from Leader's Digest May 2008

Have you taken on too much? Many of today's leaders are at risk of overextending themselves and subsequently burning out. They need to take a look at their responsibilities and make sure they're "dedicating the right resources and attention to the right things." Burnout affects performance. And "when your performance suffers, you lose control of your agenda."

Paul Michelman, director of content for Harvard Business, offers the following pointers to help you "resist the urge to overreach and remain firmly in control of defining your priorities."

Ask yourself these questions:

  • Which of my responsibilities have the greatest impact on my team and my organization?
  • Which does my boss think are most important?
  • Which might affect my personal success the most?
  • Which will have the worst consequences if I don't attend to them?

At the top of your list put the "projects that serve the broadest cross-section of these constituencies."

Delegate tasks that don't require your immediate supervision. As you make assignments, "think carefully about the match between employees' skills and the tasks you're giving them. Also be sure you direct them to the right resources. This may seem obvious, but...they are easy to overlook."

Even after you've delegated some work, you'll still have to say no. Some things that aren't important to you will be to others. When you do say no, be sure you can explain why. "The best answer is often found when you consider the consequences of saying yes--namely, destroying your ability to get higher-priority jobs done well and on time."

(Paul Michelman, "How to resist the urge to overreach", ConversationStarter, Harvard Business Blogs, May 7, 2008.)

Bad bosses

by Leslie Dillon from Leader's Digest January 2007

A study at Florida State University documents the effects of bad bosses on employee health and job performance. The study surveyed more than 700 people who work in various jobs and generated the following results:

  • 31% of respondents reported that their supervisor gave them the "silent treatment" in the past year.
  • 37% reported that their supervisor failed to give credit when due.
  • 39% noted that their supervisor failed to keep promises.
  • 27% noted that their supervisor made negative comments about them to other employees or managers.
  • 24% reported that their supervisor invaded their privacy.
  • 23% indicated that their supervisor blamed others to cover up mistakes or to minimize embarrassment.

("Most returning to work for a bad boss", Associated Press, as cited by MSNBC, Jan. 2, 2007.)

Are you addicted to your job?

by Leslie Dillon from Leader's Digest April 2007

Forty-four percent of Americans consider themselves workaholics, according to a recent Gallup Poll, and employee burnout costs the U.S. economy about $300 million a year. Chances are you know someone who is overworked, or you may be yourself. Here are some telltale signs of workaholism:

  • Failure to use vacation time
  • Refusal to stay home when ill
  • Inability to delegate work
  • Tendency to seek control of group projects

These behaviors can hinder development of other employees and injure team dynamics and relationships. "Despite the appearance of being a hardworking employee, the workaholic is costly... A person with healthier work habits would be more desirable." An industry expert "encourages managers to consider work/life balance as the wheels on a car...work, family, leisure and personal health...are four tires that need balancing."

Workrave.com offers a free downloadable program that can regulate breaks for you. It reminds you to take coffee breaks, stretch and stop working for the day. The program keeps track of how many times you skip breaks and can help end bad habits that lead to stress and the onset of repetitive stress injuries. ("Are you addicted to the job?", managesmarter, Sales & Marketing Management, Mar. 16, 2007.)

What holds leaders back

by Leslie Dillon, from Leader's Digest June 2007

Executive coach Marshall Goldsmith, co-author of What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful (Hyperion, 2007) discusses some of the 20 behaviors that hold leaders back.

One of those behaviors involves wanting to win. Winning isn’t the problem; it’s wanting to win all the time. What’s important is to win the big stuff; don’t bother to try to win the trivial stuff. As you move up, let others win. Before you speak, stop and breathe; ask yourself, “Is it worth it?” Most of the time it’s not.

Playing favorites is another behavior that needs to stop. People don’t recognize that they play favorites, but it’s widespread and it creates an environment where people are taught to suck up. We say we don’t like suck-ups, but when Goldsmith asks clients who gets the most attention at home, it’s usually the dog. Why? Because the dog is a suck-up!

Do you play favorites? To see if you do, take this little test. Rank order your direct reports four ways:

  1. How much does this person like me?
  2. How much is this person like me?
  3. Rank each person in terms of their contribution to the organization and its customers.
  4. How much positive recognition do I give each person?

You’ll see that recognition is more highly correlated with items 1 and 2 than with item 3.

What are the consequences of playing favorites? It’s a big waste of time. It’s not productive. Bosses start believing the sucking up, and they get positive recognition for their dysfunctional behaviors.

Additional challenges include:

  • Adding too much value (the higher you go, the more your suggestions become orders, so be careful what you say)
  • Making destructive comments (even if it’s true, it’s not worth it)
  • Exalting our vices as virtues (it’s just part of who we are)

Listen to what everybody says. It takes awhile, but behaviors can be altered. The motivation for change comes from within.

(Interview, HBR Ideacast, Harvard Business Online, May 31, 2007; Marshall Goldsmith, “Three habits that hold leaders back and how to overcome them,” Harvard Management Update, June 2007.)

Risk aversion

by Leslie Dillon from Leader's Digest June 2007

Managers are reluctant to encourage risk-taking by their workers, according to a nationwide telephone survey of 690 employed Americans conducted for Princeton, NJ-based consultancy BlessingWhite. Just 26 percent of respondents say they often are asked by an employer to seek new solutions, and 41 percent report they are never encouraged to take risks. (Inside Training Newsletter, May 31, 2007.)

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