The Fish Rots from the Head Down and other Management Truths
“So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work,” Peter Drucker so wisely observed. In the 30 years I’ve been in business, I’ve never seen a company that didn’t need a little tweaking at the top. It’s easy to bring in a trainer or speaker and ask them to ‘fix’ your people. But what are you doing to fix you?
The first question I ask a manager or CEO when I’m brought in is “Where’s the pain?” Next question, “How much of that is you?”
Here’s a short list of some of the ways leaders create problems for themselves and their companies — look in the mirror, are any of these you?
- Not listening to the experts you brought in to help
- Hiring the wrong people
- Allowing good people to be put in jobs that don’t use their best strengths.
- Thinking that the complainers are the enemy (they may be the only ones who care or are paying attention!)
- Allowing poison apples to stay on the job because they have a skill or two the company needs. (Note: there is a clear distinction between those who complain to make the company better, and those who complain to build their own power base…)
- Failing to acknowledge and compliment people for work done well.
- Changing directions so often the staff doesn’t know from one week to the next what the goals or direction of the company are.
- Paying attention to insignificant problems and ignoring the glaring big ones.
- Belittling, insulting, yelling, shaming, threatening or otherwise intimidating employees.
- Not keeping promises; forgetting or changing promises.
- Giving people authority or responsibility without the proper training and direction.
Some CEO’s, Founders, Managers, and Supervisors are wonderful human beings who just don’t know how to hire or manage the right people. Or maybe they don’t know how to put the right person in the right job. You can’t have a great team with a lot of wonderful people in the wrong jobs.
Other leaders were brought through the ranks with heavy competition. The behaviors described above were just par for the course — “It’s just business. Suck it up and take it like a grown up.”
That doesn’t work now, and it probably never did. Very good employees walk out of companies with toxic cultures. There are enough choices out there that it would behoove managers and leaders to work on themselves first before looking to the staff to change.
Which brings me to another cliché from the Iditarod that’s true:
“The speed of the leader is the speed of the pack”
The world is sadly in need of good, honest companies that care for their people, produce quality products and services, and contribute to their communities. Work on yourself. Work on your company. Create a legacy worthy of you.
Beth,
Rooting for your success
Other Managing tips and tools you may enjoy
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Beth Terry, CSP
Professional Speaker and Author
Website
© 2007 Beth Terry Seminars, Inc.
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