What is the problem?
Answer: It starts early.
On 3. February 2011, I wrote "Watching the Process"
http://slimviews.blogspot.com/2011/02/watching-process.html
It answers the question:
Management, Project Management, Process Management, each a process. Can you isolate the moment you realised that?
I was seven years old.
It really doesn't matter whether you rely on the "Up Series" by British Sociologists of the 1960s or the 16th Century writings of Francis Xavier. It holds true.
The Winning Team Syndrome
I was in the second grade. We were out in the playground for recess. We were playing kickball.
Recess was unstructured. There was no micromanagement of children then.
The two usual classmates were captains. This was SOP. Then, one day, one of the teams had a co-captain.
While some of the other boys in my class complained,
- “Why do they always get to be captains?”
- “They always pick their friends."
- "That’s not fair.”
I observed the process.
The captains were the natural leaders. This was because they were good at the game and good at picking players.
(Athletes will routinely hang out with athletes. Question: Are they picking their friends, or good athletes, or both? Answer: both.)
We root for the underdogs; but we want to run with the winners. Good at sports or bad at sports, each of us wants to be on a winning team. [Remember that point.]
If given a choice, a seven year old boy would rather be a player on the winning team than be the captain of the losing team.
Gratuitous Management
When I was a little older than seven, I participated in Pop Warner Football. We one quarterback. He had two plays: Two to the left--dive. Two to the right--dive. They were running plays. One, two openings from the center on the left, the other, two openings from the center on the right. Simple enough. There he knelt--cogitating. He tugged at the grass. He looked over us at the opposing team as we were in the huddle waiting for the play.
Finally, "Two to the left--dive."
I don't recall if it worked. None the less: back into the huddle. The same scenario replayed.
He tugged at the grass. He looked over us at the opposing team. He cogitated.
Finally, "Two to the right--dive."
We teach boys that the simplest of decisions are monumental. The team waits upon their every word. It's Important!
However, this carries into adult life.
I am going to make changes to protect the gratuitous.
Take two jobs: Sweeping the halls on floor seven. Buffing the halls on floor eight.
The bosses are gone for a conference. One boss must remain behind. One worker took the personal initiative to arrange for permission to buff the floors. Noisy, heavy, dirty. He cleared it with the bosses. The equipment will be there. The morning arrived.
Boss: "What are you guys doing?"
One: "I'm going to buff the halls on floor eight.
Two: "I'm going to sweep the halls on floor seven."
Boss: Cogitating.
Boss, to number one. "Okay, I want you to sweep the halls on floor seven."
Boss, to number two. "Okay, I want you to buff the halls on floor eight."
Half an hour later, the two are in the bosses office. Problem? Number two doesn't know how to run a buffer.
Boss: Cogitating.
Boss: to number two: "Okay, I want you to sweep the halls on floor seven."
Boss: to number one: "Okay, I want you to buff the halls on floor eight."
If anyone needs further explanation...... Enough said?
The Structure of Failure
Let's take Odious Bilgewater and Offal Dungnoodle. (If Charles Dickens can do it with Uriah Heep, Mr. Fezziwig, and Ebeneezer Scrooge, I can do it too.)
Mr. Odious Bilgewater promotes Offal Dungnoodle. Offal is now, the Captain of the Team. He is the Winning Captain. Mr. Bilgewater declared Dungnoodle to be the winner when he declared Dungnoodle to be the Captain. However, Mr. Dungnoodle is not competent. More on that, later.
Some people want to be on Mr. Dungnoodle's Team. Why? Some are incompetent. Some are shrewd.
Some people do not want to be on Dungnoodle's team. Why? They don't want to be part of a failure. They don't want to be blamed for the failure.
How did Mr. Dungnoodle manage the promotion? Easy. Mr. Bilgewater wants someone like himself.
Why do people want to be on Odious Dungnoodle's Team? This is how Mr. Odious Dungnoodle got his promotion.
- Odious wants people who obey orders
- Odious wants credit for success
- Odious wants scapegoats for failure
- Odious knows how to set up a scapegoat
- Odious knows how to credit his team for his success
- Odious knows all the clichés, slogans, and platitudes of "leadership"
Why do people go along with this?
- Odious is the boss
- Odious has Mr.Bilgewater's support
- This is the path of least resistance
- They want to be on the winning team
You will never change the system, the culture,the paradigm by sending employee's to team building seminars, group dynamics seminars, anger management seminars, or any other programmes. You will never solve your bad management culture problem until you fire Odious Bilgewater and Offal Dungnoodle.
Still, this begs the question:
Bad Leaders or Bad Consultants?
However, from The Quotations of Slim Fairview © 2012
- "You can't lead if you can't manage."
- "Look behind you. If people are following you, you're a leader. If they're not, you're not."
- "Leaders are defined by their followers."
- "In times of a crisis, people will follow their leader. Not their boss."
Must Read:
You Can't Lead If You Can't Manage.
You Can't Lead If You Can't Manage 2.0
Warmest Regards,
Slim
slimfairview@yahoo.com
If you find anything here to be helpful, please do not
hesitate to send me a really tricked-out Mac Book and to tuck a few dollars. into
the envelope along with the thank you note.
Bob Asken
Box 33
Pen Argyl, PA 18072
Bob Asken
Box 33
Pen Argyl, PA 18072
Copyright © 2013 Slim Fairview
All rights reserved.
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