Regarding Lance Armstrong and Discovery Channel Team Tour de France win, “…strategic focus…their abilities to meld strength and strategy – to thoughtfully plan ahead and to sacrifice today for a big gain tomorrow – seem to be such fading virtues in American life.”
Thomas Friedman, journalist for New York Times, July 27, 2005

A Crisis Of Management

The recovery efforts for Hurricane Katrina paint a tragic picture of the under-management of critical resources. As the many investigations now underway are certain to point out, there was clearly a lack of strategic focus on the part of the local, state and federal governments to make preparations, put disaster plans in place, and then work the plans when the time came. In short, there was a crisis of management.

Sadly, I am also seeing something similar in corporate halls. Behind all the hype of metrics and process transformation, and with the just-in-time mindset of corporate America, we may have gotten so lean that too many important decisions are left vulnerable where decision ownership is ambiguous. I wonder if we have moved too quickly away from qualitative management in favor of instant talent, instant results, and even outsourcing of critical functions without enough structure and guidance. While this may be fine for day-to-day functioning, when there’s a crisis, will it look as smart?

Anne Fisher, columnist, Fortune Magazine, August 9, 2004, offered advice that seems appropriate for both IT professionals and natural disaster response teams, “Are You Managing Enough?” The real question I hear her asking is “Have we abandoned the proven and basic methods for managing our people effectively?” Rather than trying to get efficient, short-term results with a lean and “empowered” staff, wouldn’t it be better if managers were more hands-on, guiding and managing the effort of their onboard, talented staff to achieve the desired results?

There is a reference in this article (Fisher, 2004) to a consulting group, Rainmaker Thinking, whose research indicates employees want and need much more guidance, clearer goals, coaching and recognition of achievements. But in organizations where everyone is maxed out, moving fast and not exactly sure where responsibility lies for important decisions, little meaningful direction is found.

Maybe it’s time to come back around to basics and refocus managers. This starts with managers having their organizations aligned around the ever-changing work that needs doing. It means that they have the right jobs defined and the right people with the right skills in place. This would also require embracing continually learning so that their staff maintains key skills. Then, make managers accountable to actually manage their people, setting appropriate performance goals and actively guiding people’s performance to get the desired results.

As Bruce Tulgan, president of Rainmaker Thinking said, “the only managers who succeed . . . are highly-engaged, hands-on, and who demand strict accountability for results…” When people with management responsibility actually manage, the right things get done. From where I sit, New Orleans, many of our corporations, and our country could use a big dose of that right now.

How well does your organization both prepare your managers and then measure their performance as a manager of people? Here are some specific activities and measures that I believe need to be in place for every manager, whether newly promoted into a manager position, an external hire or an internal lateral move. Whatever way this information is conveyed to the new manager (one-on-one, class or web-based learning), the hiring manager has accountability to ensure the new manager understands their role and how they will be measured:

1. Orientation (ethics, processes, culture, vision, mission, key customers, tools)

• Manager orientation to specific department
• Manager orientation to specific organization (IT, Finance, HR, Marketing)
• Manager orientation to company

• Organization effectiveness (right structure (jobs) and people performing satisfactorily in those jobs)
• Customer satisfaction (timely, cost effective delivered results)
• Employee satisfaction (motivation, assignments, work environment, compensation)

In Praise of Micromanaging , Fisher, Anne, Fortune, retrieved September 8, 2005 from http://www.fortune.com/fortune/careers/articles/0,15114,676804,00.html.
Anne provides a reflection on the need for hands-on, results-driven managers.

The Two Sides of Micromanaging , Adubato, Steve Ph. D., retrieved September 8, 2005 from http://www.stand-deliver.com/star_ledger/030729.asp.
This article gives the upside and downside of micromanaging.

There Are No Micromanagers , Brenner, Rick, Point Lookout website, retrieved September 8, 2005 from http://www.chacocanyon.com/pointlookout/040107.shtml.
Four warning signs of micromanagement are provided along with tips for changing some management activities.

• Launching A Virtual Team, Spring/2005
• Managing Key Experiences - Are Your Leaders Up To It?, Fall/2004