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Managers as guiding instructors
Managers as guiding instructors Hans Ringstriim The success of an enterprise depends to a large extent on the attitudes of the workforce. These attitudes in turn depend largely on the style of management. Factors that influence both management and the workforce are discussed, and it is suggested that managers should function more as guiding instructors than as dictators. Keywords:
management,
personnel,
decision-making
Since business is created, and the quality of that business is determined, at the moment of customer contact, all personnel handling any form of customer relation are a particularly important resource for the company and can significantly influence its success in the market. One should think of the traditional company triangle being turned upside down, with the grassroot people then becoming the front line on top of the triangle, and management moving down to the bottom. The people in the front line must be regarded as the enterprise itself, and therefore personnel development is a question of strategic importance to management. A well formed personnel policy with regard to management and other recruitment, personnel development programmes, award systems, information and staff benefits are important factors in the internal organization. The aim should be to cement the business idea and the goal, as well as to free people from restrictions and thus create conditions for independence, initiative, dedication and enterprising spirit. PHILOSOPHY There are two contrasting management philosophies. The first is based on full confidence on the part of management with regard to the competence and good intentions of the staff. The second is based on a belief on the part of management that staff are reluctant to contribute to the success of the organization. AB Utvecklingsplan,
110
Box 2040, 19102 Sollcntuna,
0263-7863/85/0201
Sweden
According to the first theory, management has confidence in the workforce. Employees are kept constantly involved, important work is delegated to them, and they are involved in the decision-making process. As a result, the employees enjoy their work and take an interest, and everyone is working on his own initiative. Management can therefore feel more confident. According to the second theory, management fails to have faith in the willingness of personnel to contribute to the success of the company. Management also makes the important decisions. As a result, the employees feel uncomfortable and are not interested in their work; they only do what they are told to do, and this confirms management’s opinion of the poor working morale. Unfortunately, management makes excessive use of the second theory, but this is probably due to our traditional upbringing. During our upbringing, experts constantly inform us that we are inadequate. As children, we learn that we are ignorant and must learn from the experts - parents and teachers. We learn that we are inadequate if we fail to achieve good marks. Through advertisement, we learn that we are not complete without the right car, house, clothes, sports equipment, friends, etc. - here again, the experts come into the picture, in the form of tennis players, movie stars, etc.
EARLY
INFLUENCES
Frequently, children are obliged to obey their parents against their own will. Parents must often act against the child’s will for a variety of reasons, for example in order to prevent the child from hurting himself or others. However, parents often take away far too much responsibility from their children, believing that they cannot cope with a task or that they cannot attain the goals set by the adults. Consider, for example, manner of eating. The child’s desire may be to fill his stomach, but the parents dictate what, when and how he will eat. Imagine that the parents constitute the management at meal times and authoritatively direct the child’s eating habits from an
l&O3 $03.00 @ 1985 Butterworth
& Co (Publishers)
Ltd
Project
Management
early age. Imagine further how little initiative this child will muster with regard to the most important function in life, namely to eat and therefore to survive. In this way, the child learns during his early years that he cannot himself decide when he is hungry, what to eat and how to eat it. Parents frequently also take over responsibility for the child’s initiative, commitment and creativity concerning important factors of success such as homework, rest and leisure. Most children are dependent on appreciation and encouragement from adults. They learn to put more trust in the experience and judgement of their superiors than in their own. They learn to rely on adults to tell them what they really want and what is best for them; they cannot decide for themselves. To grow up, the child must free himself from the guidance of his parents and must find his own way. The success of this emancipation process determines the ability of the child as an adult to receive and give guidance. Child education should be regarded as life education, and parents should be regarded as guiding instructors. When a young adult starts working, he may still be dependent on the authority of other adults; the manager frequently replaces earlier authorities.
JAPANESE
DECISION
HIERARCHY
There is a general belief that decisions made in Japan grow from the lowest level of a company to the top. This, however, is probably not true of Japan, although it may apply to the West, where there are always some people who want to demonstrate their abilities. In Japan, young people would hardly be able to suggest anything to their elders - they are very much looked down on. Manual workers hardly have anything to say, expect for instance in quality circles relating to practical aspects. Despite all this evidence to the contrary, however, the myth about the decisions in Japan coming from below is still maintained. Indeed, if a manager has an idea, he will often tell it to someone below him. That person will then present the suggestion. If it is a success, everything is fine; if it is a failure, the manager does not lose face for conceiving a bad idea. Most Japanese have experience only from one single company, with which they remain all their lives. Further, their friends usually work at that same company. As a result, the company does not receive any new ideas from the outside. If the company is not successful, an awkward situation can arise. Japanese leadership is often spoken of as the perfect model, but this enthusiasm is based upon the Samurai, Kamikaze and Harakiri cultures and is probably not of interest to the West.
LEADERSHIP
IN THE USA
The straightforward method of communication in the USA is impressive, but there is a certain distance between management and employee; management appears authoritative, as if giving orders with a gun behind the employee’s back.
Vo13 No 2 May 1985
RESPONSIBILITY
FOR
GUIDANCE
In the best cases, changes are the result of a vision, a clear direction of where to go. Changes require leaders who are able to assume difficult responsibilities and who can implement changes not as dictators but as guiding instructors. A manager’s technique often reflects the entire organization, and his personal commitment, example and attitudes are essential for obtaining good results. The manager must spend much time developing his relationship with the staff in order to clarify goals, create enthusiasm, convey messages into the organization, etc. He should constantly feel the pulse and atmosphere of the company. The manager should be a person who at the right moment says what everyone in the organization intuitively feels. Leadership and personal commitment are preconditions for success in finding the right market approach, including internal activities. The manager must therefore become involved in projects and become a leader. motor and decision-maker. He must develop the ability to communicate at a level below him - a level at which he can have faith in what his staff are doing, and can be confident that they are working in a predictable way and in accordance with his own ideas and opinions. When such a position of trust has been created, information and possibilities may develop much more positively than in a situation with contacts that are only superficial. Occasionally, however, the manager may miss the opportunity of contact and communication, perhaps because of uncertainty about what he should say or do. His standards, sex prejudices. expectations and previous experience determine his way of thinking in certain distinct situations. Other factors that may be involved are his insecurity, his need for firm limits, his fear of the unknown and his self-understanding, which in turn can form the basis for his security.
FUTURE In the future, all quality work, regardless of the trade, will be developed by people on all levels who have initiative and enthusiasm, while management will increasingly be regarded as guidance for the rest of the staff. The future and past can be compared with a situation involving a new and an old brain. The new brain handles conflicts and possibilities aiming at the future, while the old brain is obsessed with historical developments. The new brain accepts all suggestions and ideas without devaluing them; instead of saying ‘It is impossible’, it says ‘How shall we have a try?‘. The old brain says ‘T can not’, while the new one, having tried, says, ‘I will not’. While the old brain is afraid of its own position, the new brain invites everyone to join in the process as full members. The new brain believes in man and his potential to grow and to assume responsibility for the future. If the manager carries out his business and leads his staff according to the rule ‘important~ likeable, competent’, he will achieve success. Everyone in an organization will feel important if his ideas and suggestions are listened to. Everyone will feel liked if care is
111
taken to establish good relations at all levels. Everyone will feel competent if every opportunity is taken to commend good ideas and work well done. A vision of where one wants to go, as well as distinct, concrete goals on the way, are preconditions for the company to be successful and everyone employed to feel part of it. It can be compared with a ladder, the frame being the strategy/orientation and the rungs the individual goal of the company or each man in it. Work should be delegated to the employees, and the staff should be guided to develop as workers who are conscious of quality and proud of the product. Much energy will be necessary, not only for carrying out this work, but also for developing the task according to the other goals of the company with regard to development and quality. It is essential, however, for ensuring that
112
the business idea of the enterprise maximum extent possible.
will develop
to the
1
Hans Ringstr6m spent 20 years in marketing and sales before spending the past three years as a consultant within Swedish industrial and service companies. He is now a consultant in the field of businessoriented personnel development and has been involved with leader development, service training, cooperation training, self-confidence training, team development and company development.
Project
Management
management,
personnel,
decision-making
Since business is created, and the quality of that business is determined, at the moment of customer contact, all personnel handling any form of customer relation are a particularly important resource for the company and can significantly influence its success in the market. One should think of the traditional company triangle being turned upside down, with the grassroot people then becoming the front line on top of the triangle, and management moving down to the bottom. The people in the front line must be regarded as the enterprise itself, and therefore personnel development is a question of strategic importance to management. A well formed personnel policy with regard to management and other recruitment, personnel development programmes, award systems, information and staff benefits are important factors in the internal organization. The aim should be to cement the business idea and the goal, as well as to free people from restrictions and thus create conditions for independence, initiative, dedication and enterprising spirit. PHILOSOPHY There are two contrasting management philosophies. The first is based on full confidence on the part of management with regard to the competence and good intentions of the staff. The second is based on a belief on the part of management that staff are reluctant to contribute to the success of the organization. AB Utvecklingsplan,
110
Box 2040, 19102 Sollcntuna,
0263-7863/85/0201
Sweden
According to the first theory, management has confidence in the workforce. Employees are kept constantly involved, important work is delegated to them, and they are involved in the decision-making process. As a result, the employees enjoy their work and take an interest, and everyone is working on his own initiative. Management can therefore feel more confident. According to the second theory, management fails to have faith in the willingness of personnel to contribute to the success of the company. Management also makes the important decisions. As a result, the employees feel uncomfortable and are not interested in their work; they only do what they are told to do, and this confirms management’s opinion of the poor working morale. Unfortunately, management makes excessive use of the second theory, but this is probably due to our traditional upbringing. During our upbringing, experts constantly inform us that we are inadequate. As children, we learn that we are ignorant and must learn from the experts - parents and teachers. We learn that we are inadequate if we fail to achieve good marks. Through advertisement, we learn that we are not complete without the right car, house, clothes, sports equipment, friends, etc. - here again, the experts come into the picture, in the form of tennis players, movie stars, etc.
EARLY
INFLUENCES
Frequently, children are obliged to obey their parents against their own will. Parents must often act against the child’s will for a variety of reasons, for example in order to prevent the child from hurting himself or others. However, parents often take away far too much responsibility from their children, believing that they cannot cope with a task or that they cannot attain the goals set by the adults. Consider, for example, manner of eating. The child’s desire may be to fill his stomach, but the parents dictate what, when and how he will eat. Imagine that the parents constitute the management at meal times and authoritatively direct the child’s eating habits from an
l&O3 $03.00 @ 1985 Butterworth
& Co (Publishers)
Ltd
Project
Management
early age. Imagine further how little initiative this child will muster with regard to the most important function in life, namely to eat and therefore to survive. In this way, the child learns during his early years that he cannot himself decide when he is hungry, what to eat and how to eat it. Parents frequently also take over responsibility for the child’s initiative, commitment and creativity concerning important factors of success such as homework, rest and leisure. Most children are dependent on appreciation and encouragement from adults. They learn to put more trust in the experience and judgement of their superiors than in their own. They learn to rely on adults to tell them what they really want and what is best for them; they cannot decide for themselves. To grow up, the child must free himself from the guidance of his parents and must find his own way. The success of this emancipation process determines the ability of the child as an adult to receive and give guidance. Child education should be regarded as life education, and parents should be regarded as guiding instructors. When a young adult starts working, he may still be dependent on the authority of other adults; the manager frequently replaces earlier authorities.
JAPANESE
DECISION
HIERARCHY
There is a general belief that decisions made in Japan grow from the lowest level of a company to the top. This, however, is probably not true of Japan, although it may apply to the West, where there are always some people who want to demonstrate their abilities. In Japan, young people would hardly be able to suggest anything to their elders - they are very much looked down on. Manual workers hardly have anything to say, expect for instance in quality circles relating to practical aspects. Despite all this evidence to the contrary, however, the myth about the decisions in Japan coming from below is still maintained. Indeed, if a manager has an idea, he will often tell it to someone below him. That person will then present the suggestion. If it is a success, everything is fine; if it is a failure, the manager does not lose face for conceiving a bad idea. Most Japanese have experience only from one single company, with which they remain all their lives. Further, their friends usually work at that same company. As a result, the company does not receive any new ideas from the outside. If the company is not successful, an awkward situation can arise. Japanese leadership is often spoken of as the perfect model, but this enthusiasm is based upon the Samurai, Kamikaze and Harakiri cultures and is probably not of interest to the West.
LEADERSHIP
IN THE USA
The straightforward method of communication in the USA is impressive, but there is a certain distance between management and employee; management appears authoritative, as if giving orders with a gun behind the employee’s back.
Vo13 No 2 May 1985
RESPONSIBILITY
FOR
GUIDANCE
In the best cases, changes are the result of a vision, a clear direction of where to go. Changes require leaders who are able to assume difficult responsibilities and who can implement changes not as dictators but as guiding instructors. A manager’s technique often reflects the entire organization, and his personal commitment, example and attitudes are essential for obtaining good results. The manager must spend much time developing his relationship with the staff in order to clarify goals, create enthusiasm, convey messages into the organization, etc. He should constantly feel the pulse and atmosphere of the company. The manager should be a person who at the right moment says what everyone in the organization intuitively feels. Leadership and personal commitment are preconditions for success in finding the right market approach, including internal activities. The manager must therefore become involved in projects and become a leader. motor and decision-maker. He must develop the ability to communicate at a level below him - a level at which he can have faith in what his staff are doing, and can be confident that they are working in a predictable way and in accordance with his own ideas and opinions. When such a position of trust has been created, information and possibilities may develop much more positively than in a situation with contacts that are only superficial. Occasionally, however, the manager may miss the opportunity of contact and communication, perhaps because of uncertainty about what he should say or do. His standards, sex prejudices. expectations and previous experience determine his way of thinking in certain distinct situations. Other factors that may be involved are his insecurity, his need for firm limits, his fear of the unknown and his self-understanding, which in turn can form the basis for his security.
FUTURE In the future, all quality work, regardless of the trade, will be developed by people on all levels who have initiative and enthusiasm, while management will increasingly be regarded as guidance for the rest of the staff. The future and past can be compared with a situation involving a new and an old brain. The new brain handles conflicts and possibilities aiming at the future, while the old brain is obsessed with historical developments. The new brain accepts all suggestions and ideas without devaluing them; instead of saying ‘It is impossible’, it says ‘How shall we have a try?‘. The old brain says ‘T can not’, while the new one, having tried, says, ‘I will not’. While the old brain is afraid of its own position, the new brain invites everyone to join in the process as full members. The new brain believes in man and his potential to grow and to assume responsibility for the future. If the manager carries out his business and leads his staff according to the rule ‘important~ likeable, competent’, he will achieve success. Everyone in an organization will feel important if his ideas and suggestions are listened to. Everyone will feel liked if care is
111
taken to establish good relations at all levels. Everyone will feel competent if every opportunity is taken to commend good ideas and work well done. A vision of where one wants to go, as well as distinct, concrete goals on the way, are preconditions for the company to be successful and everyone employed to feel part of it. It can be compared with a ladder, the frame being the strategy/orientation and the rungs the individual goal of the company or each man in it. Work should be delegated to the employees, and the staff should be guided to develop as workers who are conscious of quality and proud of the product. Much energy will be necessary, not only for carrying out this work, but also for developing the task according to the other goals of the company with regard to development and quality. It is essential, however, for ensuring that
112
the business idea of the enterprise maximum extent possible.
will develop
to the
1
Hans Ringstr6m spent 20 years in marketing and sales before spending the past three years as a consultant within Swedish industrial and service companies. He is now a consultant in the field of businessoriented personnel development and has been involved with leader development, service training, cooperation training, self-confidence training, team development and company development.
Project
Management