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O.D. Institute Newsletter |
May 2005 |
What Managers Should Unlearn
Dr. Hubert Rampersad
President TPS International
Inc.
Many
managers have an enormous destructive impact on the health of
their people and their organization. Without being aware of
this they cause disastrous destructions within organizations.
Research in Europe shows that more than half of all employees
have changed job or organization at least once because of their
manager’s behavior and that mismanagement is the reason of their
poor performance in their job.
Wrong self image
Quite a number of European managers don’t know that they don’t
have the ability to manage effectively and that many of them
are short sighted, arrogant, without vision, non-inspiring and
not action orientated. Even worse: They don’t know that they
don’t know. In their unawareness they cause large damages within
organizations. A recent survey shows that many managers have
a wrong self image. They think of themselves as managers who
motivate well, stimulate and listen to their staff. However,
when asking employees, a poignant lack of interest is felt and
they feel hardly stimulated. The survey shows large differences
on how managers think that they manage and how employees experience
the same: 86% of managers think that they really and honestly
show their interest; only 41% of staff agrees with them. 84%
of managers are satisfied and contented with their management
style; a meager 42% of employees are satisfied with the way
they are managed.
Leadership in the 21st century
Many ignorant managers still believe that salary is the most
important reason for motivation. They still do not realize that
offering new challenges, showing commitment, honesty, being
open for feed-back and giving support and compliments are the
main motivators. They are not aware that organizations are living
organisms in which people live and that employees need to be
treated as human beings and not as slaves. What they also do
not understand is that a healthy home situation is indispensable
to be able to reach top achievements at work. This is one of
the most important challenges that leadership is facing in the
21st century. In my book “Total Performance Scorecard; Redefining
Management to Achieve Performance with Integrity” (Butterworth-Heinemann,
2003) I specifically focus on the new task of managers to constantly
improve the quality of life of their staff not only at work
but also in their free time at home on the basis of the methods
and techniques that are presented in the book. This will invite
employees to accept every time bigger challenges, to feel free
and safe and through this enjoy their work and be happy. This
attitude will then also have its effect on the quality of life
of customers and shareholders and improve this and add to their
happiness and satisfaction. It is therefore really time that
managers start realizing that a healthy home situation of employees
has an important impact on their performance at work and this
can no longer be ignored. They have to look beyond their own
noses. Managers will have to start understanding that those
who are not able to function well in their families, cannot
function well either at work. It is about time therefore that
managers rapidly unlearn ignoring the private circumstances
of employees.
Unlearning
The fact that 75 – 80% of all organizational change and development
projects in Europe fail has to do with the behavior and certain
actions of managers, which disrupt and frustrate the process.
This then is coupled with the resistance to change and the creation
of inability and incapability. We talk for example about: ego-behavior,
arrogance, being immodest, hidden agendas, lies, prioritize
own personal interests, excessive CEO salaries, ignoring staff,
bombastic, aimless, not showing any respect, giving misleading
information, keeping information back, creating an atmosphere
of fear and distrust, not taking anything into consideration,
knowing everything much better, leaving employees to their fate,
not paying attention to their development, lots of vain conversations,
bad listening, impatient, not trustworthy, closed, unreliable,
not giving signs of appreciation, preferring communication through
e-mail, being unreachable for staff, not showing drive, not
keeping high ethical norms and values, accentuating status differences,
punishing of employees who made mistakes, undermining and suppressing
self confidence of employees etc. It is about time that managers
unlearn this behavior rapidly, in the interest of the health
of their collaborators, the success of their organization. Also
political leaders need to learn form this.
Dear Friends,
The Spring issue of Nonviolent Change is now on the web at:
http://mypage.iu.edu/~ssachs/.
We welcome submissions of articles, commentary, news,
media information and announcements relevant to nonviolent large
systems change, sent to Steve Sachs at ssachs@earthlink.net.
The Deadline for the next issue is August 8.
Also, for a good small peace meeting, where everyone who wishes
has the opportunity to present and join in discussion, the 19th Annual Meeting of the
Research/Study Team on Nonviolent Large Systems Change,
will be May 16-17, just before the Annual
O.D. Information Exchange, at the Hilton Lisle/Naperville
Hotel in Greater Chicago, Illinois. If you want to stay overnight,
Jeannette Swist, RODP, Chair of The 35th Annual O.D. Information
Exchange has arranged a special room and meal package for us
at the Hilton Lisle/Naperville. A single room with full breakfast
and lunch buffet and two refreshment breaks is $143 per night
in a single room and $95 per person in a double room. To reserve
a room you need to send the Hilton Lisle/Naperville Hotel, 3003
Corporate West Drive, Lisle, IL 60532 or Tel: (800)552-2599
booking code ODI one night's rent. You can make your reservation
on line at: www.lislenaperville.hilton.com. The Hilton will
hol! d our block of room until April 16th. For more information,
contact Organization Development Institute, 11234 Walnut Ridge
Rd., Chesterland, OH 44026 (440)729-7419, DonWCole@aol.com,
www.odinstitute.org. Let Don know if you would like to present.
The meeting will open with a get to know each other session
on Sunday evening that will set the initial agenda. The group
will adjust the agenda as the meeting proceeds, with preference
given to presentations and discussions already scheduled.
All the best.
Warmly,
Steve
Stephen M. Sachs
Coordinating Editor, NCJ
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