Business Management

Management is in a state of crisis. Managers, in the aggregate, are doing a poorer job than ever. There is much evidence to support this claim. The causes are formidable, but not insurmountable. Improvements can and must be made.
Evidence of the current management predicament is substantial including but not limited to the following:
1) Studies
In his book, Engagement is not Enough, Keith Ayers references a Gallop Organization study that performs research on worker engagement - a direct reflection on management. Results indicate that only 30% of American workers are engaged. 54% are not engaged, and 16% are actively disengaged.
In The Speed of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey, cites British sociologist, David Halpern’s study that reports only 51% of employees have trust in their senior management and only 36% of employees believe their leaders act with honesty and integrity.
2) Anecdotal Evidence
When prompted, there are few people that don’t have at least a half dozen management horror stories. Scott Adams, of Dilbert fame, has had enough material sent to him by readers to last multiple lifetimes. Management, with good reason, is ridiculed more than ever. The insanity that goes on in the workplace routinely supports the adage that truth is stranger than fiction.
3) Wholesale abandonment of Responsibilities
Not only do many managers occasionally neglect certain responsibilities, but many have completely abandoned them. For example, it used to be that one could obtain career advice and counseling from her/his manager. This crucial management service is to a large extent non-existent, so much so that an entire new industry, career coaching/life coaching, has sprung up to fill the unmet need.
The situation is severe. The costs to individuals and American businesses are astounding. How did we get to this state?
Again, there are many reasons, but a primary one is the assault on management in the past few decades. Downsizing, Rightsizing, etc. have decimated the ranks of middle management.
Managers are scared to death that they are next on the chopping block. Their main goal is to stay employed, so they do everything in their power to avoid the hatchet. This results in a climate dominated by a complete aversion to risk, where change is non-existent, policies are followed robotically, and sucking up to superiors and dodging responsibility have evolved into an art form. These practices have been institutionalized. They are passed on via example from one manager to the next.
Managers are also being asked to do more. They are being asked to do their “day job” and manage groups on the side. As organizations continue to flatten in the name of cost-cutting, they are asked to manage more and more people and organizations.
Managing people is a very difficult job. The above conditions don’t make it any easier. Combine them with the fact that managers are frequently selected on a whim, provided little to no training and coaching, are not adequately measured on or held accountable for their performance, etc. and there is little wonder that lunacy has becomes commonplace. Many poor performing managers actually think they are doing a great job which enhances the lunacy.
What is the solution? How do we get out of this mess?
There is no silver bullet - no million dollar manager in a minute. Instead, managers must return to effective execution of the basics.
A manager’s main job is to achieve the organization’s mission which involves returning positive results through the resources at her/his disposal (people, process, tools, etc.). In order to achieve increased productivity and efficiencies, the manager must care for the resources. Start doing it! Teach team members. Help them with their careers. Get them the training they need to do their jobs better. Break down the administrative barriers. Cater to their needs.
Bring honesty back into the workplace. Keep commitments. Achieve goals. If there are no goals, create them. Share them. Complete projects on time. Give timely and accurate feedback. In other words, start doing what we all know we should be doing.
But what about the lack of time? Managers must prioritize better, and educate their bosses of the importance of doing so. Organize the work week. Block off time to do the most critical things. Learn to say “no” to new responsibilities so there is time to concentrate on those that are most important.
It’s not easy. If it were, everything would be just dandy. There is indeed more pressure on managers. That’s no reason to give up. We need to do better. The good news is that even small incremental improvements result in significant progress. The key is to ACT. Concentrate on the executing the fundamentals. Good things will follow for you, your organization and your company.