Posted in 21st Century Leadership, 21st Century Workplace, Michael Mason Norman, On Whose Watch?, Thinking on June 15, 2010|
November, 2010
I closed the door behind me as I left the CEO’s office. I felt great as I was told that my work was exceptional and it was important that the publicity office write an article about me for the newsletter and the local newspaper. No other companies in town had a CHO and it was important for the company to herald its guy at the head of his class. (more…)
Posted in On Whose Watch? on January 2, 2010|
Not on my watchIn the landscape of indifference, one particular ego-based feature grows among those in positions of power, responsibility and authority. For some professionals it is a temporary bookmark in their histories. For others, its roots form the routes of success and failure among a succession of managers, most competing for space in the forgotten shadows of time. As a form of indifference, it is known as “Not on my watch!” Stereotypically, this is how it works in its most eloquent and non-evasive form.
No matter what kind of organization we are observing, be it a school, a business, a college, a church, a government agency, and so on; someone is in a position to make decisions. Typically, this man or woman has been with the group for at least a year. More than likely their tenure has been extensive. But once again a time is approaching when their next place of employment is beckoning.
Like people on watch aboard ships at sea, they have been at the helm guiding their organizations through good and bad times. Not unusually, their initiation into their respective organizations required making significant changes in the operations of their systems of people and structures. If they are willing to remember, they can recall their first days with clear memories. Images appear in how they wished their predecessors had had the guts to make changes. Instead, piles of deep Kim chi has been deposited on desks before their departures. You can imagine the former manager or administrator staring down at a folder, holding it gently. Then quickly scribbling a note on a sticky. It reads, “Here lies a little problem for you to tackle, as I ran out of time to take care of it. Check with your assistant who can fill you in with all the little details. Best of luck in your new position. It is now your watch!”
You have been here before: “It is now your watch!” Unfortunately, you have also written such notes for others to glare at, sub-vocally, swearing unpleasant words about you in your absence. For instance, an employee problem may be on hold. The manager thinks, “That so and so didn’t have the “b” to fire that idiot.” Then and now, you already foresee how you will feel and act, when you have to think about a tough decision before you leave for your next post.
In the meantime, you have the option to act and be decisive, taking the hits from those negatively impacted by your decision. Or, you can, in your mind, bravely rationalize why decisions are best deferred to another day and conveniently left for your successor or successors to deal with it on their watches.
These kinds of situations prescribe that a manager must abdicate responsibility to make a decision. As an aside this can also be a committee, too; but back to the manager’s situation. What should a manager do? What is at stake here?
Ah, professional reputation comes to mind. Your reputation is of greater value to you! And it is an acceptable move in the rules of bureaucratic games when deferring a decision to someone else. You know what they say, “Everyone else does it, so will I.” It is also face-saving and it is safe. But, at what cost to the organization does this recurring, if not self-replicating behavior, place the organization?
In my opinion, it creates and sustains a continuous loop of initiatives, restructurings, and other misguided efforts, in inexplicable attempts to correct personal phobias in making decisions. For the record, this behavior is consistently prevalent in organizations where passive-aggressive behavior is tolerated as the norm.
So, what will be your legacy at the end of your watch? What decisions will you leave for someone to clean up?
In summary
Indifference and its social siblings, is a character trait, which can both distract effective management of organizations and render professionals impotent as leaders.
We would appreciate your thoughts on this topic.
Posted in On Whose Watch? on January 2, 2010|
Part Two “Who cares!”
Indifference-sampling:
Apathy
“Give me a break!”
“Go fly a kite!”
“What’s it to you?”
“I don’t give a damn!”
“No skin off my back.”
“Why should I care?”
“Let’s get back to the basics.”
“People need common sense.”
“We don’t need to do the right things here. You are paid
to do things right, so get back to work.”
“I really don’t care what you or they think. I’ m the boss and I am
never wrong.”
“I’m reality!”
“I can’t get my head around this issue.”
“These problems always take time to resolve.”
“Let them eat cake!”
“If you are not with me, you are against me!”
“Take the pain.”
“Facts are an inconvenience.”
“Read my lips.”
“I feel your pain.”
“The poor deserve to be poor.”
“What do you expect from those kids of people?”
“Stay in your place and you will be happy.”
“Eat your food. Think of those starving children in China.”
On and on it goes and what would you add to this list?
What do these expressions say in a conversation?
What do they do to any form of communication?
How would you Tweet them or Text them?
If you used them what would others think of you?
Perspectives on Leadership for the 21st Century 