Leading Like ‘the Dickens’ Inspires Scrooge Mentality (Human Factor by Jeffrey Wood)

There’s a manager I know who’s a living, breathing fossil of the 1950s.

He’s actually good at the rudimentary functions of his job. He cracks the whip. He watches expenses. He’s punctual and well groomed. Away from the office, he can even be fun.

More so than anything else at his company though, he’s hated. Not by senior management mind you. This guy does all the dirty work, and let’s be honest; someone’s got to be the disciplinarian.

The difference though is he doesn’t just hold people accountable. He’s a micro-managing horse’s patoot to a nano-degree.

His reputation is that of a clock-watching, cheap-to-the-bone, black-and-white policy monger who lords over a wasteland of hourly employees – most of whom are too tired or unskilled to look elsewhere for work.

He governs with the cynical squint of a Charles Dickens villain and squishes the life out of creativity unless he can take credit for the idea.

Worst of all, and the real reason he’s viewed more as a tyrant than a benevolent dictator: He appears to enjoy it.

Fifty years ago the heartless task master routine worked. It doesn’t now, at least not in white-collar offices.

There have to be rules. Accountability is the cornerstone of a successful business. I’m also a huge believer in being “on the hop.” Nothing disappoints me more than seeing teammates who don’t hustle to take care of customers or each other.

There’s a fundamental difference though between riding people into submission and helping them learn to ride the waves of success.

Our myopic friend, call him Ebenezer, is such a cartoon of himself that he doesn’t even realize no one would voluntarily follow him across the street, much less into any kind of conflict.

People obey tyrants because they butter their bread. People choose to follow leaders because they want to.

When managers challenge, empower and ultimately hold teams accountable, the team members not only want to follow – they’re motivated to impress.

Inspiration and opportunity beat ticky tack punitive measures every time (even though both are sometimes necessary).

It’s hard not to feel sorry for Ebenezer on some level. The rules changed years ago and no one bothered to tell him Mr. Slate (Fred Flintstone’s boss down at the quarry) is no longer a good mentor.

People are looking for more from managers than being reminded it’s time to turn in time cards. They’re looking for someone to help them grow professionally, and many times even personally.

Unlike 20 years ago, people now bring so much of their personal and social lives into the workplace; managers are faced with having to juggle several skill sets. Some days you’re a coach or teacher, others you’re a mother or brother or friend.

It’s a different world, and old hands like Ebenezer can struggle with balancing productivity and personality. For those who grapple with the same thing, the November issue of the Harvard Business Review offered a good rule of thumb.

In a case study on colleague sabotage, one CEO listed his four rules for subordinates who request a sit-down meeting with him.

The one related to a request for personal advice stipulates two things. The expectation must be that the CEO is not giving counsel as “the boss,” and that there will be no action on his part.

 “It’s your job to solve the problem,” the CEO states.

He explains that he’s not being arrogant or unresponsive, and that he cares immensely about his teammates. But the CEO has a company to run, and so it’s important to prioritize. What he’s saying is, “if you need counsel, come on in, but make it count.”

Managing people is hard. I am no expert. A decade ago when we had a small writing staff, I made so many managerial mistakes we nearly had a mutiny. I made some changes. Chief among them was doing more listening than talking.

Never at any point did we stop demanding the team’s best effort. People actually want to do their best, and most of us need to be prodded to give it consistently.

The trick for managers though is remembering that killing the crew sinks the ship.

Learning how to challenge them while demonstrating that you’re investing in their future, too, will make the crew kill for you.