In my last blog IS FEAR EVER A USEFUL SUBSTITUTE FOR RESPECT I wrote about the damage
that can be caused within organisations when fear is used as a management tool,
and that unless there is radical and determined lead from the executive,
attempts to combat the problem will be futile.
If, however, there are instances of individual managers using fear and intimidation to get what is mistakenly referred to as ‘the best’ out of their people, the situation can possibly be remedied by means other than simply firing the head of that department: a manager who is successfully ‘turned’ can be a powerful asset.
NOT DWELLING ON THE ‘WHY’
Management by intimidation, rather than being a demonstration of personal strength is, in fact, the complete opposite. More often than not it is often a sign of deeper, inner flaws generally dwelling among ones personal learnt behaviour and social conditioning. However, looking for the ‘why’ is for another discussion; here we are interested in finding the best way of transforming an unhappy and low performance environment into a team that is engaged, motivated and with a spring in its step.
FEAR MISUNDERSTOOD
Very often weak managers do not even know they are doing anything wrong claiming that it’s necessary to ‘crack the whip’, ‘bang a few heads together’, ‘kick ass’, ‘they may not like me but this isn’t popularity contest’ – do any of these sound familiar? Such managers fail to understand that:
TOP 'DOS' OF GOOD MANAGERS
In a healthy corporate environment, managers employing fear as part of their ‘skill set’ are very easy to spot and there are long lists of dos and don’ts to assist in spotting weak managers. Below are just a few measures needed to grow respect and kick fear into row ‘Z’. Also included is a 'trip wire', a ‘tell’, to look out for either in managers, or even in ourselves.
PRIORITISE
Trip wire: being caught up in the minutiae. The desire to micro-manage is not a substitute for the real thing – and feeling busy does not necessarily equate to productivity. Let your team see you managing your own role and that will help them to define their own.
BUILD A STRONG TEAM
Trip wire: feeling threatened by high performing subordinates. Have the confidence to encourage and help talent – it reflects well on the team and manager alike. If a strong candidate is destined for higher things then let them grow – this kind of strength of purpose will be very attractive to subordinates.
TRUST YOUR TEAM
Trip wire: if you think or utter ‘if you want something doing right, do it yourself’, stop in your tracks. Trust your people to do the job well and if they cannot then train them! If they’re treated like adults they WILL respond – trust them, and they will trust you back.
A ‘BLAME FREE’ ZONE
Trip wire: When problems occur and the first reaction is ‘who’s at fault?’. In this case blame is on the agenda and it has to go! The response needs to be: understand what happened, get it put right & ensure everyone learns the lesson. A team afraid of making mistakes will lose all imagination and creativity.
FEEDBACK
Trip wire: sensitivity to positive criticism. A ‘feedback culture’ in a team breeds trust. Train your people in its appropriate use and it becomes a real plus for management and environment building.
STRUCTURE THE WORKING DAY
Trip wire: complaining about being busy. Is it busy or hectic? The former makes money, the latter loses it. The last person out of the office is not necessarily the most productive – in fact that twighlight competition as well as unproductive, can just look silly.
TRAINING, TRAINING, TRAINING No trip wire required here. All of the greatest & most successful teams and organizations have this tenet at their heart, so surely there must be something in it. This is one of management’s greatest responsibilities towards boardroom and staff alike – to make sure that the company’s most precious resource is in the best possible condition to deliver. If the staff are not being trained then they are losing edge, and in the 21st Century business environment, that edge (or lack of it) can be enough to decide the issue.
If, however, there are instances of individual managers using fear and intimidation to get what is mistakenly referred to as ‘the best’ out of their people, the situation can possibly be remedied by means other than simply firing the head of that department: a manager who is successfully ‘turned’ can be a powerful asset.
NOT DWELLING ON THE ‘WHY’
Management by intimidation, rather than being a demonstration of personal strength is, in fact, the complete opposite. More often than not it is often a sign of deeper, inner flaws generally dwelling among ones personal learnt behaviour and social conditioning. However, looking for the ‘why’ is for another discussion; here we are interested in finding the best way of transforming an unhappy and low performance environment into a team that is engaged, motivated and with a spring in its step.
FEAR MISUNDERSTOOD
Very often weak managers do not even know they are doing anything wrong claiming that it’s necessary to ‘crack the whip’, ‘bang a few heads together’, ‘kick ass’, ‘they may not like me but this isn’t popularity contest’ – do any of these sound familiar? Such managers fail to understand that:
-
Leading
and managing through respect is not easy, if it were, then everyone
would be able to do it.
-
People do not actually fear you – they fear
how your temporary authority within an organisation can impact upon them.
-
If a bad
manager is replaced then, like a shamed bully, fear of that person evaporates. Such managers fool themselves if they believe they are ‘strong’
TOP 'DOS' OF GOOD MANAGERS
In a healthy corporate environment, managers employing fear as part of their ‘skill set’ are very easy to spot and there are long lists of dos and don’ts to assist in spotting weak managers. Below are just a few measures needed to grow respect and kick fear into row ‘Z’. Also included is a 'trip wire', a ‘tell’, to look out for either in managers, or even in ourselves.
PRIORITISE
Trip wire: being caught up in the minutiae. The desire to micro-manage is not a substitute for the real thing – and feeling busy does not necessarily equate to productivity. Let your team see you managing your own role and that will help them to define their own.
BUILD A STRONG TEAM
Trip wire: feeling threatened by high performing subordinates. Have the confidence to encourage and help talent – it reflects well on the team and manager alike. If a strong candidate is destined for higher things then let them grow – this kind of strength of purpose will be very attractive to subordinates.
TRUST YOUR TEAM
Trip wire: if you think or utter ‘if you want something doing right, do it yourself’, stop in your tracks. Trust your people to do the job well and if they cannot then train them! If they’re treated like adults they WILL respond – trust them, and they will trust you back.
A ‘BLAME FREE’ ZONE
Trip wire: When problems occur and the first reaction is ‘who’s at fault?’. In this case blame is on the agenda and it has to go! The response needs to be: understand what happened, get it put right & ensure everyone learns the lesson. A team afraid of making mistakes will lose all imagination and creativity.
FEEDBACK
Trip wire: sensitivity to positive criticism. A ‘feedback culture’ in a team breeds trust. Train your people in its appropriate use and it becomes a real plus for management and environment building.
STRUCTURE THE WORKING DAY
Trip wire: complaining about being busy. Is it busy or hectic? The former makes money, the latter loses it. The last person out of the office is not necessarily the most productive – in fact that twighlight competition as well as unproductive, can just look silly.
TRAINING, TRAINING, TRAINING No trip wire required here. All of the greatest & most successful teams and organizations have this tenet at their heart, so surely there must be something in it. This is one of management’s greatest responsibilities towards boardroom and staff alike – to make sure that the company’s most precious resource is in the best possible condition to deliver. If the staff are not being trained then they are losing edge, and in the 21st Century business environment, that edge (or lack of it) can be enough to decide the issue.
Alan Keyse is a fully qualified Business and Life Coach who now applies his 30 years of experience as a sales executive to coaching, helping business leaders, executives, managers and their staff to create a healthy, stress free environment so boosting their bottom line.
Alan Keyse
email Alan
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