Rethinking The Management Position

Many, many times, in speaking with business owners, I hear the stories of how they inadvertently created a system – big or small – and even though the system isn’t a good one, they have trouble “fixing” it. 

It’s even worse when the business has some size to it – managers don’t acknowledge change or are reluctant to change, and even minor tweaks to existing processes can be a struggle. 

What if you try to change something “big,” like the culture, or the mindset of people in the business? 

We ALL know those truly gifted people in business with the social skills of a badger – can they be saved if the processes and systems they have grown accustomed to change? 

The answer is yes – IF they choose to.  Should you decide to rebuild your management system to actually develop people instead of merely the systems those people use, then the real challenge is big – and the reward is bigger!

How can you show a manager that so much of what they’ve done in their working lives has virtually nothing to do with the real world AND is, in the long run, pointless?

Today, organizations are filled with empty promises and missions, no matter how good they might sound.

How does a manager find meaning in their life and career? 

If you choose to reinvent what it means to be a “manager,” you also have to realize how important it is to ensure that your managers can find meaning and freedom in the work they do.

That’s not a hollow statement, either.  Your management system should allow managers to be accountable for things they actually have authority to change – and the reality is, many companies DON’T let them do that. 

Let me restate that, because it’s very important, in order to give your managers the ability to truly accomplish the work that must be done, your managers must have the authority to create the solutions you need in the areas they are accountable for. 

Now, you might think that’s common sense, but after observing so many companies over the years, I’ve found it was exactly the opposite. 

Even worse?  Many of the managers I worked with voluntarily gave up their authority to change things in their areas of responsibility!

Management, the way many companies have traditionally “done” it, makes managers invisible and impotent.  They gave up their authority and, when they did, they gave up their responsibility.

The result?  Their lives begin to go unfulfilled.  The quality of their work becomes “good enough.”

See how this simply decomposes into a vicious cycle? 

You can change that in your business – and make your company far easier to manage if you follow this rule:  how – and where – will you give your managers the authority to accomplish the things they must accomplish?    

I want you to really think about that this week, because as the country gets back to work, and so many businesses are hiring and staffing up, you can create a far stronger company than ever if you’ll be open-minded about how you manage.