 |
 |
 |
 |
ManagerZine Archive Favorite
1. Why No "Walk The Talk," Boss?
From A Far-Flung Reader
NOTE: We hear this kind of complaint wherever we go. We’ve uncovered some
research that may explain the phenomenon.
“I am in a work unit that has been through difficult
changes over the past few months. We have had a
team meeting recently where we all agreed to be more
available to each other and to be more supportive and
cooperative when one person’s workload builds up.
Our manager promised that these were values she
endorsed. We left the meeting upbeat with a clear idea
of how we were going to work together. Three weeks
later, when I asked my manager if she could give me
some advice on a problem, she asked me to make an
appointment for the next week! She was on her way to
an Executive Committee meeting. So much for my
manager walking the talk. I’m really discouraged. What
can I do?”
This is a tough one. We look to leaders to be role models for the way we ought
to act. When there is a disconnect, when the role model doesn’t do as he or
she says everyone ought to do, we are disoriented and discouraged. Gone is
the cultural compass. How could otherwise conscientious managers act so
blatantly contrary to “what’s right”?
There must be an explanation. Here is what may be going on.
Two researchers set up an interesting experiment. Seminary students were
asked individually to prepare a sermon on “The Good Samaritan”, the Bible
story in which a despised outcast (the Samaritan) helped a traveler who had
been beaten and robbed while more pious and respected citizens looked on.
Once the sermon was ready, the seminarians were told to walk over to a nearby
building to present it to an awaiting audience. Along the way, the
experimenters arranged a close encounter with a “street person,” slumped in an
alley, eyes closed, groaning. One group of students was told before leaving the
preparation area that they were very late. The audience was expecting them
several minutes ago. Another group was told they had a few minutes to wander
over. The question was: Who would stop to help?
Clearly, seminary students follow a religious calling that involves, among other
things, helping people in distress. You’d expect both groups to “walk the talk”.
Of the group that was told it was late, only 10 percent stopped to help. Some
students were so rushed they actually stepped over the prostrate street person.
Of the group that had time, 63 percent stopped.
What this boils down to is that the convictions and beliefs you hold can have
less impact on your behavior than things going on in the here and now. The
time pressure controlled the behavior of the seminarians, despite their beliefs.
They were oblivious to what they were doing.
The question to ask is: When you see someone not walking the talk, what is
going on in his or her reality right now? Can awareness -self-consciousness-
stop the contradictory behavior? If we pointed out the disconnect, would the
seminarians stop? In her book, Mindfulness, psychologist Ellen Langer points
out that context controls behavior. “We whisper in church, become sad in
cemeteries, jovial at parties.” We suppose that when under the pressure and
stress of attending an Executive Committee meeting, you would tend to be
anxious. Forget collaborating; I gotta go.
What to do?
Hope you are not drawn into the same blind spot. Pay attention to what forces
are shaping your behavior.
Two Keys To Delegation
How would your job, no, your <<whole life>> change if you gave away 15
percent of your work? A move in the positive direction, right? Absolutely.
Obviously, new tasks will fill the 15 percent, but they will be more “important”
and fun to-dos. Here’s how to get there.
ManagerZine’s informal survey of management topics this summer yielded a
clear winner. Our readership wants to delve into Delegation. In fact, the
majority managers we know to feel they ought to do delegate more. We
promise to get around to Conflict, the runner-up, in our next edition.
Delegating work to employees is a big, selfish plus for you. Let’s be clear about
that. Delegation unclogs time management congestion that makes your work
(and life) complex. It gives you time to do “strategic” things. But it also is a
major benefit to staff. They learn; they feel rewarded. And you build bench
strength: a more capable staff ready for anything.
Why don’t managers delegate? The risk of unsatisfactory results, faster to do it
myself, I have my own way, no time, yada yada. Let’s skip all that and get
down to what delegation is all about. Here is the formula.
Analyze the task. Is this task truly delegatable? If I do delegate it, what do I still
have to pay attention to?
Analyze the person’s capabilities. Does this person have the skill or
experience? What does he/she need to know? Can current tasks be shifted to
someone else? (A delegation within a delegation).
These two data points give you answers to two questions to delegate
successfully.
What kind of <<Initial Direction>> does this person need?
How much and what kind of <<Ongoing Involvement>> will this person require
from me as he or she does the task?
Direction and Involvement are the two major management tools that make
delegation work. You can calibrate what you need to do, based on your
reading of the task and the person.
© 2006 Singularity Group
1. Why No "Walk The Talk," Boss?
From A Far-Flung Reader
NOTE: We hear this kind of complaint wherever we go. We’ve uncovered some
research that may explain the phenomenon.
“I am in a work unit that has been through difficult
changes over the past few months. We have had a
team meeting recently where we all agreed to be more
available to each other and to be more supportive and
cooperative when one person’s workload builds up.
Our manager promised that these were values she
endorsed. We left the meeting upbeat with a clear idea
of how we were going to work together. Three weeks
later, when I asked my manager if she could give me
some advice on a problem, she asked me to make an
appointment for the next week! She was on her way to
an Executive Committee meeting. So much for my
manager walking the talk. I’m really discouraged. What
can I do?”
This is a tough one. We look to leaders to be role models for the way we ought
to act. When there is a disconnect, when the role model doesn’t do as he or
she says everyone ought to do, we are disoriented and discouraged. Gone is
the cultural compass. How could otherwise conscientious managers act so
blatantly contrary to “what’s right”?
There must be an explanation. Here is what may be going on.
Two researchers set up an interesting experiment. Seminary students were
asked individually to prepare a sermon on “The Good Samaritan”, the Bible
story in which a despised outcast (the Samaritan) helped a traveler who had
been beaten and robbed while more pious and respected citizens looked on.
Once the sermon was ready, the seminarians were told to walk over to a nearby
building to present it to an awaiting audience. Along the way, the
experimenters arranged a close encounter with a “street person,” slumped in an
alley, eyes closed, groaning. One group of students was told before leaving the
preparation area that they were very late. The audience was expecting them
several minutes ago. Another group was told they had a few minutes to wander
over. The question was: Who would stop to help?
Clearly, seminary students follow a religious calling that involves, among other
things, helping people in distress. You’d expect both groups to “walk the talk”.
Of the group that was told it was late, only 10 percent stopped to help. Some
students were so rushed they actually stepped over the prostrate street person.
Of the group that had time, 63 percent stopped.
What this boils down to is that the convictions and beliefs you hold can have
less impact on your behavior than things going on in the here and now. The
time pressure controlled the behavior of the seminarians, despite their beliefs.
They were oblivious to what they were doing.
The question to ask is: When you see someone not walking the talk, what is
going on in his or her reality right now? Can awareness -self-consciousness-
stop the contradictory behavior? If we pointed out the disconnect, would the
seminarians stop? In her book, Mindfulness, psychologist Ellen Langer points
out that context controls behavior. “We whisper in church, become sad in
cemeteries, jovial at parties.” We suppose that when under the pressure and
stress of attending an Executive Committee meeting, you would tend to be
anxious. Forget collaborating; I gotta go.
What to do?
- Try to understand why there is a belief-action contradiction from the
offender’s perspective. Look at what’s going on.
- Point out the discrepancy. It’s like holding up a mirror.
Hope you are not drawn into the same blind spot. Pay attention to what forces
are shaping your behavior.
Two Keys To Delegation
How would your job, no, your <<whole life>> change if you gave away 15
percent of your work? A move in the positive direction, right? Absolutely.
Obviously, new tasks will fill the 15 percent, but they will be more “important”
and fun to-dos. Here’s how to get there.
ManagerZine’s informal survey of management topics this summer yielded a
clear winner. Our readership wants to delve into Delegation. In fact, the
majority managers we know to feel they ought to do delegate more. We
promise to get around to Conflict, the runner-up, in our next edition.
Delegating work to employees is a big, selfish plus for you. Let’s be clear about
that. Delegation unclogs time management congestion that makes your work
(and life) complex. It gives you time to do “strategic” things. But it also is a
major benefit to staff. They learn; they feel rewarded. And you build bench
strength: a more capable staff ready for anything.
Why don’t managers delegate? The risk of unsatisfactory results, faster to do it
myself, I have my own way, no time, yada yada. Let’s skip all that and get
down to what delegation is all about. Here is the formula.
Analyze the task. Is this task truly delegatable? If I do delegate it, what do I still
have to pay attention to?
Analyze the person’s capabilities. Does this person have the skill or
experience? What does he/she need to know? Can current tasks be shifted to
someone else? (A delegation within a delegation).
These two data points give you answers to two questions to delegate
successfully.
What kind of <<Initial Direction>> does this person need?
How much and what kind of <<Ongoing Involvement>> will this person require
from me as he or she does the task?
Direction and Involvement are the two major management tools that make
delegation work. You can calibrate what you need to do, based on your
reading of the task and the person.
© 2006 Singularity Group
Visit Singularitygroup.com
Click Board! Free Library of Literature A truly inspiring site, Bartleby gives you access to great books and references free of charge. http://www.bartleby.com Quote Lovers Come Home If you love to sprinkle quotes throughout your reports, presentations, and discussions, here is a mother lode. http://www.quoteland.com |
| Singularity Group Helping organizations implement change since 1983 For more information: www.singularitygroup.com |
Well-Spoken
"Become a student of
change. It is the only
thing that will remain
constant."
Anthony J. D'Angelo
"The way to get started
is to quit talking and to
begin doing."
Walt Disney
"Become a student of
change. It is the only
thing that will remain
constant."
Anthony J. D'Angelo
"The way to get started
is to quit talking and to
begin doing."
Walt Disney