Dear Sigmund Psychie,
I'm the manager of 5 highly educated and creative computer
programmers. We have missed our product release dates the
last two times. I have set deadlines, dictated weekend work,
threatened to fire them, and still I don't get what I want.
What can I do?
- Manager Bob Mountain View, CA Dear
Manager Bob:
Have you ever thought about changing the way you work with
this group? If the results you seek have failed twice it
seems like what you are doing doesn't work. There is a pattern
here.
Can you list what you have done that didn't work? Treats
and deadlines are useless to many new workers - but you have
already found that out. What else have you found that
has not worked?
For so many years, managers have worked in the 'command
and control' arena and now, many people in the workplace
resent that style. Is that your style? If it
is and you are honest enough to recognize it, can you change
it? Can you involve them? And
if you did, how would you feel about it?
What steps can you take to enlist them in helping your team
move forward? You have recognized a pattern of what
doesn't work, now change your process and figure out, with
your team, what will get the job done.
REAL-LIFE EXAMPLE
I worked with a CEO who was always right and saw fault in
other people's ideas and concepts. Success for him was getting
other people to think like him. What he and the business
really needed was to get other people to voice their ideas
and for him to listen.
I was hired when the business needed a big turn around
and change. Change starts with the CEO. While getting the
CEO to look at his patterns, he began to recognize that
he chose people who would not threaten his power - thus
no one voiced concerns or new ideas.
Once he became aware of how he was stifling creativity,
he began to work on reducing his fear and encourage participation
and new ideas from others. Becoming aware of his own fear
in letting go of control was his first step toward positive
change.
http://www.ovson.com |
