Benjamin B. Compton wrote:
> The question, "How to make managers manage," is fascinating. The word
> "make" is what captured my attention. As human beings we seem to have a
> preoccupation with "making" things happen.
[...big snip by your host...]
Ben,
Shifting from one paradigm to another can be difficult; for some,
impossible. While I hear you saying that one can't "control" another's
behavior, you appear to demand just that via "hidden" messages, and stated
consequences. Perhaps this is why there is such uncertainty in modern
managers nowadays.
Perhaps reading them their options (with consequences) may make some
managers "do something". In my experience, it rarely lasts very long,
maybe just long enough to get through this particular situation. What you
may have created is a gun-shy, perhaps even resentful, manager who is not
likely to stick his/her neck out, especially if they are not in control of
the situation.
I fear that checking out the company's evaluation process and the links to
raises simply reinforces the same-old, same-old syndrome. It does not move
very far from the dependence on control to one of cooperation and
systems-thinking. The situation seems to be one which demands change but
might in fact guarantee repetition of the same behaviors, albeit by a
"new" manager, after the present one is replaced, and continued dependence
on carrots/sticks.
I would rather the organization revoke any such blaming methodology as
unacceptable. I suggest the organization not concentrate (waste) their
energies on the behaviors, which are the RESULTS, but rather on the
causes, systemic and otherwise. In my experience most managers don't even
know there are such things as systemic factors, only that the particular
person "doesn't work hard enough", or "can't seem to get his/her unit to
produce." This is sufficient cause for alarm in any organization and
demands a different response.
Don't waste time, energy and money on useless "performance-related"
processes. Look to other areas for the causes; you'll not find them at the
end of the performance evaluation road. You are right...you can't "make"
another person do anything they don't want to do, without bringing in fear
and threats. Why would you or anyone want to?
--Sincerely,
John Constantine Rainbird Management Consulting PO Box 23554 Santa Fe, NM 87502-3554 Rainbird@Trail.Com http:\\www.trail.com\~rainbird
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>