are we becoming worse managers?

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“Most of the upper management of <the company> were undead.

I always thought it was because the job was easier if you didn’t have a soul.”

―

Kim Harrison

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–

“I live in the Managerial Age, in a world of “Admin.” The greatest evil is not now done in those sordid “dens of crime” that Dickens loved to paint.

It is not done even in concentration camps and labour camps.

In those we see its final result.

But it is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voices.

Hence, naturally enough, my symbol for Hell is something like the bureaucracy of a police state or the office of a thoroughly nasty business concern.”

―

C.S. Lewis

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Ok.

I came across a dated article <over 5 years old> which gave me pause … it suggested that we were getting worse at managing <or being bosses>.

So.

While I mentioned it is dated … I find it hard to believe that we would have reversed this trend over the past 5 years or so.

In fact.

If I were to guess … uhm … I would guess the numbers would look even worse <not by much … just worse>.

I could write an entire book on why I think the business world is breeding crappier managers but let me state 2 key aspects:

–    When your focus is outcome you don’t train for managing … you train for output.

–     With an “up or out” organizational attitude it breeds people moving ‘up’ who don’t know shit about managing.

Pick either of these two and it means, at its most base level, that while someone can certainly master some specific skill and expertise that skill or expertise is tied specifically to … well … getting shit done.

Summary? Not managing … getting shit done.

No matter how much talent, how much skill, how much expertise someone has … that doesn’t necessarily translate into skill as a manager. Therefore … when becoming a manager your only management thinking, or how to manage people style, is to encourage output, direct others to create output and crap on those who don’t generate output.

Maybe worse?

If all you know is that your personal development of a specific skill or expertise led to you attaining this managerial level then you only have to believe in that – getting everyone to develop that specific skill or expertise. And if they either don’t have the desire to do so … or the talent to develop that specific skill or expertise … well … you crap on them <bully, have a tantrum, stubbornly make demands>.

Simplistically … in my eyes … we are breeding a new type of myopic manager. And if you are myopic that means you are more likely to discriminate <against people who don’t see things the way you do> and have less respect for anyone who doesn’t wander, and stay, within your blinders.

This myopic view also morphs into a belief that they have unique skills <the expertise becomes something bigger than simple expertise>. Ah. Now that breeds a lack of humility. And that is another check mark on the bad manager characteristic list.

Just think about the top bad boss behavioral traits ranked in the study: self-centered, stubborn, overly demanding, impulsive, interruptive, and tantrum-throwing.

For god’s sake … in the study … self-centeredness, impulsiveness and stubbornness rose up to 50% over five years.

The researcher suggested that … “the common theme for many of these traits centers around emotional immaturity, inability to communicate effectively, and a lack of respect and sensitivity towards others.”

I would suggest that the ‘emotional immaturity’ is an outcome of the two things I pointed out above.

But there is an even more insidious aspect to how we ae breeding this new type of crappy manager.

Let’s call it the managerial version of moral corruption or the capitalism of morals.

What I am talking about is a tried & true survival technique if you are a crappy manager <particularly the ones elevated into some position solely based off of past outcomes>.

This person begins to pursue interests that are not consistent with those of the other individuals … but seemingly meet the objectives of the organization as a whole <a “damn the torpedoes full steam ahead“ approach to management>.

This means that the road has diverged morally. And it diverges almost solely based off an instinct of survival.

This will often occur, more strongly, during time of stress within an organization. The economy is tough. Sales are down or flat. There are rumblings of cutbacks. During times of uncertainty about the organization, managers and employees tend to see their individual interests as distinct from those of their work group let alone the organization as a whole.

This is a business derivative of Darwin’s theory of natural selection … the one that asserts an individual organism that is particularly suited to its environment is more likely to survive than a less fit one.

It’s every individual for itself.

Now.

Anyone in business who has had any leadership responsibility knows that a group of individuals that supports their work group as a whole with some degree of selflessness tends to be a stronger group and a more secure group <as individuals>.

That said.

Managers seem to be forgetting this. While the group recognizes that some sacrificing of personal interests for the group can … well … actually be an individual survival trait, the manager sees strength only in outcome therefore judges ‘survival’ solely on outcome.

It is crazy.

Fucking crazy.

This issue may be one of the biggest threats to an organization and its employee behavior. Although I am using but one manager as an example let’s be clear that everyone, including the receptionist, can begin to see self-protection as the road to survival.

Today’s organizational focus with regard to management has gone seriously awry. While there is certainly a common theme on ‘culture’ and building an organization holistically the day to day leadership thinks in terms of ‘one decision’ and ‘one person manage behavior – or reward behavior’ completely misunderstanding how such a decision impacts a larger group <who take the cues as to what it means to consistent and predictable behavior>.

We are becoming worse managers in business.

We are doing so because we are looking less often at the bigger picture of employee management.

Employees live both in company and in the world.

The best organizations leverage the whole employee.

The best managers leverages the whole employee.

But I think we are becoming worse not because we don’t understand there is a bigger picture but rather because we haven’t been trained on how to manage to the bigger picture <because, frankly, it is a shitload easier to manage to the smaller picture of ‘outcome’>.

Here is what I learned about outcomes as I was trained to be a manager.

Care about the quality and care you put into your work.

Why? Because sometimes that is all you will be left with at the end of the day. Not every project ends well. Not every idea is a success. Not every presentation goes well.

When something doesn’t end well?

All you have to hold on and be proud of is … well … the craft and care and quality of the work itself.

Oh, by the way, if you care about the quality … inevitably you will find you have better outcomes more often.

Here is what I learned about managing people as I was trained to be a manager.

Respect the people you work with … every single one of them. This includes the cleaning people, the receptionist, the 1st year employees as well as your peers.

Why?

Because sometimes that is all you are gonna have at the end of the day. Shit happens. Things go wrong. I cannot tell you how many times after a long day I would be slumped in my chair drained … and a cleaning person would come into my office and ask if I was okay.

The frickin’ cleaning person asked me if I was okay. What an incredible uplifting feeling. Like gulping down a glass of water after being drained of all you had in you.

All because maybe I had a kind word for them at some point or maybe I simply didn’t treat them like shit or possibly I didn’t take out my bad day on them … but all I can tell ya is you may suck as a manager if you get promoted simply because ‘up or out’ but if you treat people with respect … treat people fairly … you won’t suck so bad that people will hate you.

Here is what I learned about managing, in general, as I was trained to be a manager.

If you hire the people you SHOULD hire … you cannot have tantrums … you cannot bully them … you cannot … well … be an asshole. You cannot because you will be fighting with yourself and yelling at yourself as you try and hold yourself back from meddling in the good shit they will do.

People rise to the occasion if you give them the space and support to rise.

Tantrums & bullying & passive/aggressive translates into <beyond shitty behavior> “no space to do.”

Your crappy behavior squeezes their space to do stuff.

Yes.

I think we aren’t teaching the next generation of manager this kind of shit.

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“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.”

―

Theodore Roosevelt

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Yes.

The chart I opened with is slightly dated.

Yes.

I still think it is valid today.

Yes.

I think we are becoming crappier managers.

Yes.

I think we are creating crappier managers <albeit I think young people edging into management understand there is something wrong and they want to do it right>.

Yes.

I think we can fix this.