There were, and unfortunately still are, some companies that believe effective management is all about being able to command and control the people in a typical pyramid-shaped hierarchical organizational structure. This view of the word typically emphasizes ‘exerting authority’ through giving orders, directives and reward/punishment (usually through hire-and-fire, pay increases and promotions).
The inevitable implication is also that people further down the food chain in structural terms, needed to be compliant.
To some extent, this philosophy has its origins in tribal and feudal cultures. It has been perpetuated down the centuries by absolute forms of government as well as many forms of conventional religion and military structures, even when the surrounding society has largely changed and moved away from its basic core concepts.
These old models of management and leadership are easy to understand and sometimes intuitively attractive on the basis that ‘everyone knows their place and remit’. The problem is, unfortunately they just don’t work – at least in the modern business.
Even in military circles, the analysis of many past debacles, disasters and fiascos has shown that a conventional and rigid leadership and command structure was often a major contributory or even causative factor.
Leaders giving orders without fully consulting their subordinates for fear of losing face, failing to acknowledge shortcomings in their own knowledge and experience, and not having all appropriate facts to hand before making what they hoped would be seen as an ‘authoritative decision’. Further down the chain, other examples include subordinates implementing orders they knew would lead to catastrophe because it wasn’t their place to question and so on.
In modern business, thought processes have moved on. In today’s organization, there is less likely to be an essentially hierarchical structure. The new model manager is no longer going to be considered important because of his or her grade or their office size.
A contemporary manager will also no longer be judged based on perceptions of how ‘macho’ or dynamic they appear to be in personally making lots of decisions. In fact, the skills required of a manager are considerably different even to those needed as recently as the 1980s/90s.
The 21st century manager must be capable of:
• Understanding the core mission and purpose of their organization
• Contributing specific expertise in one or more domains – the ‘administrative manager’ is becoming obsolete
• Being ‘best of breed’ in their ability to draw upon and optimally deploy the skills and talents of their co-workers through persuasion, encouragement and shared participatory engagement rather than diktat
• Scheduling their time and that of their colleagues to concentrate on mission-critical activities. This includes minimizing distractions and disruptions caused by pay-and-provisions squabbles, resignations, turf wars, internal politics, and personal frictions etc
• Acting as an ambassador for their area and company overall. Networking, inter-personal and persuasion skills are now considered more important than the ability to be directive and unilateral.
• Being perceived as effective by their co-workers. Today many managers and leaders have to face annual performance evaluations that include peer group and staff reviews. They do not have to win a popularity contest but their staff will be asked to show that they believe their manager to be effective in the role.
• Accepting accountability. When things go well the manger has the right to expect recognition for the people involved but the corollary is that they must be seen to take responsibility when things go wrong and ‘fix it’ rather than trying to blame others or ‘duck and dive’.
• Leading by example. The manager that asks one thing of others while operating to a different set of personal and professional standards is no longer acceptable.
• Developing and progressing their staff and co-workers. Ensuring that personnel are equipped with the required skills for the evolving business expectations they face on a week-by-week basis.
The modern manager is therefore now a more rounded individual than previously. Their ‘soft’ skills are now given a higher priority than the traditional “over the obstacle course” ones of previous generations. Developing these skill sets and cultural values is not easy but the good news is that there are numerous excellent training courses and organizations out there that can help you along the way.
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