The Hindu Business Line : Players who can damage organisations

It is quite likely that your company started off with great management principles and strong corporate values as the basis. Do you now find that these have turned into clichés, lip service and lies, because of damage wrought by leaders and managers who acted for their own gain? You are not alone...

To the afflicted organisations, however, there is hope, assures Craig R. Hickman in Management Malpractice, from Viva (www.vivagroupindia.com) .

Foremost of the twisted principles is the one about change. Be entrepreneurial and distrust the status quo, advises the author.

The opposite would be to act like an administrator - `often thinking in terms of evolutionary developments' and wishing to `improve the current situation at the margin'.

Another malpractice is unwarranted secrecy, such as with ideas. No, that won't work, dins in Hickman.

"The key to managing knowledge workers lies in creating an environment where they can share their ideas, information, and knowledge without limitations or constraints... It allows organisations to become flatter and less dependent on hierarchy, which in turn promotes commitment, self-management, collaboration, and learning." Remember: "Ideas form the very basis of value creation."

Not allocating time for employees to brainstorm, dream and imagine, is yet another malpractice that the book exposes.

"Find trainers who are unorthodox, unconventional, outside the box, irreverent, crazy, off-the-wall. They will breathe new life into your team or organisation." Also, "Hire a design specialist or find someone in your organisation with a flair for workspace design. Give them a budget and a challenge to create a physical environment more conducive to dreaming and imagining."

Part II of the book, which is on individuals and employees, speaks of best practices such as treating your people as the most valuable asset, and valuing contributions of each employee. Check if your organisation applies the `most valuable' tag selectively to employees, and thus creates a divide between `A' and `B' players.

"The problem is that `A' players make up a mere 20 to 25 per cent of the work force. The rest are `B' players (and a few, perhaps 5 to 10 per cent, are `non' players, who may need to be terminated)," explains the author.

`A' players do add value to the organisation; but they can be `greedy, arrogant, fickle, self-absorbed, self-promoting, hard to retain, temperamental, demanding, and in need of constant recognition', cautions Hickman.

"They are high-maintenance, hard to manage, and their attitude and aggressiveness can have a divisive effect on the staff - particularly in team-based environments.

"They can damage an organisation as much as they help it, especially when the malpractice remains alive and unexposed."

Vital lessons for managers.

http://BookPeek.blogspot.com

More Stories on : Books | Manage Mentor | Economic Offences

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Resistance, how to work with and around it

Building cultural bridges

Clarity of vision is the key

Tackling questions that leaders ask

Players who can damage organisations