Tough Positive Management

TOUGH POSITIVE MANAGEMENT

by Mike Manes

This is the fourth in a series of articles by Mike Manes on managing organizations and leading people. The first article created a management “Jambalaya” using various ingredients: “Leftover” ideas that apply in the world of people and work. The articles that follow will use the same ingredients and a fresh approach to create an entrée: Nutritious food for thought.

Although the title of the article includes the term “management,” I believe that things and processes are managed and people are led. Business at its most basic level is about people: Those who buy and use what we make (customers) and those who make or deliver or provide what customers buy and use (manufacturers, distributors, providers, and so forth).

If you disagree with this premise, that's fine. People differ — that's what makes business a challenge.

The question is: Can management (leadership) be tough, positive, and effective?

I'm 56 years old, stand 6”2' and weigh about 220 pounds. My mother is 4”11'. I've been taller than Momma since I was in grammar school. Momma wasn't physical in “managing my childhood” — she didn't have to be. Intuition told me that I didn't want her to get physical. She was firm, and I respected that.

Geronimo (Mr.) and Kilroy (Mr.) were the daddies of some of my best friends. Both were combat veterans. When I was a boy, if I went into their houses, I'd take off my shoes at the door and lower my voice for fear of disturbing them. Today when I walk into their houses, I do the same.

Today, I'm bigger than both of them and yet I still stand in awe of them. As a boy, I respected their physical presence. As a man I respect them — who they are, what they know, and what they did and do. Most of all, I remember the structure they provided in our world and I respect them for it.

That was then, this is now. As I walk through the mall, I see women taller than Momma and men bigger and “badder” than Geronimo and Kilroy negotiating with their children. These kids are running wild and their parents are attempting to rein them in with those most feared words, “Get over here now before I count to three. One, Two, Three … ” Ambiguity.

Our world had structure. Parameters were clearly defined, with expectations that we would honor them. There was oversight of the process; we were held accountable, and the consequences were real and applied. It was tough, but we respected our parents and the process.

Effective organizational leadership is similar. It's about leading in the creation of an environment (parameters) for an organization and establishing a process (expectations, oversight, accountability, and consequences) in which every member of the organization can contribute to the shared vision and achieve the mission.

This is a process of defining a current reality, establishing a future ideal, bridging these two points, and motivating, organizing, and energizing the followers to cross the bridge: No ifs, ands, or buts.

• The current reality involves who you are as an organization and as individual members of this organization.
• The future ideal concerns the vision and the objectives/results that the individuals and the organization want and need to achieve.
• The bridge is who you need to be as an organization and as individual members of this organization.

CURRENT REALITY

As an organization, what's your history, your present, and your culture? Are you entrepreneurial or bureaucratic? Do you make things happen or do you “sit on” what has already happened? Do you search for excellence or seek to sustain mediocrity (the status quo)? Do you look to the future with enthusiasm or trepidation?

Do you see new customers as an opportunity or a task? Do you use your processes and systems as tools to leverage relationships for positive change or as weapons to kill innovation? Do you view employees (team members) as an investment or an expense? Do you tell employees what to do or encourage them to think and risk on their own? What do you reward, and punish? Who are your heroes?

THE FUTURE IDEAL

Do you like who you are? Are you getting the results you need? Is the marketplace you compete in static or dynamic? Is staying where you are, as you are, who you are, and doing what you do an option? (If you answered “yes,” you don't need leadership; just manage the status quo! You're ignoring the reality that to survive and prosper in a rapidly changing world, all people and every organization must change — and change requires leadership).

Based on the leadership analogy in this article, what are the parameters of your organization? Your values are the foundation of the organization you build: The Ten Commandments and the Constitution. When questions arise, you can measure issues against these and know what's right or appropriate.

Begin by making certain that the values you have are the values you need for the future. Establish these standards, share them, and live them.

Your vision is the future ideal and the mission is the organization needed to attain it. These, together with your values, create the parameters of your world. If something you do isn't compatible with this framework, don't do it.

The leader must make sure that everyone — everyone — in the organization understands these parameters and will work within them. Those who can't or won't go along with this need to leave the organization as soon as possible. This is an absolute.

In terms of expectations, everyone who remains must play a role that's clearly understood by the leader and other members of the organization. Although most members of an orchestra play only one instrument, and every instrument differs, everyone knows how the various sounds (roles) fit together to make great music.

I repeat: Make sure that the leader as well as each member of the team (organization) understands every role. Ask people in your organization to write their job description, the most important thing that they do, and what gets rewarded and punished. Then do the same exercise in terms of your expectations of your people, and compare the two sets of answers: Do these descriptions look like the same job or organization? If you really want a challenge, ask team members to define the roles of others with whom they work, and then compare all three!

This “expectation management” process is critical. Before you begin your venture into tomorrow, you and every team member must develop individual and collective roles that will “fit together” to facilitate achievement of your vision and Mission, without violating your Values.

Oversight is the next critical step. Make sure that this is an ongoing process, not an event. Oversight seeks tough answers to easy questions. Does the existing organizational culture and infrastructure facilitate your Vision and the expectations of your team? If not, are you willing or able to change the culture? Warning — changing a culture is very difficult. If you can't change the culture, revise the vision or mission.

Is each individual in the organization compatible with and committed to your shared values and vision? Are they in the right role? Are they responsible? Do they have the authority to do what's asked? Would they be better suited to another role? Is each individual willing and able to do their job? If they aren't able, will you develop them? If they aren't willing, will you create an environment in which they'll motivate themselves to do the job? If they aren't willing and able, can or will you terminate them? Why not?

Is the plan right? Are you on track? If so, can you move faster? If not, what must you do to get back on track? What are your contingency plans?

Ongoing oversight closes the circle by providing accountability and consequences. Are the system, plan, and processes working? Is the organization performing as promised? What about individual team members? What is the market doing?

If team members are meeting expectations and honoring agreed commitments, are they being rewarded? If expectations aren't being met, is the team member being rehabilitated — developed, trained, or encouraged — with environmental changes that will improve their motivation? Motivation is internal to each of us; the leader can only manipulate the environment, not change the individual.

Michael G. Manes can be reached at Square One Consulting, 625 Weeks Street, New Iberia, LA 70560,  cell 337-577-3885, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.squareoneconsulting.com.