Where Have All The Honest Managers Gone?
Copyright (c) 2007 The National Learning Institute
I well remember as a young bank clerk many years ago,
sitting at my desk one morning. Around me were the sounds
of hustle and bustle of a busy office – people were sipping
their coffee (in those days it was instant!) opening the
mail (ah, for the days before email!) and telling of the
events of last evening or their trip to work that morning.
As a morning person, it was my best time of the day when I
was at my most positive, creative and effective best, so I
had my head down and bum up. Time later for relaxing.
Suddenly, the air was split with an earth shattering yell.
My usually very quiet, reserved manager, had come out of
his office, red in the face and yelling "Who did this?"
Everyone stopped dead. When he recovered enough to tell us
what the "this" was, I discovered to my horror that it was
obviously something that I had done that had upset him.
Apparently, I had made a blunder that would impact one of
our best customers most unfavourably. I very tentatively,
put my hand up "Mm, mm, mm, me, Sir", I managed to stammer.
"Into my office, now!" he replied.
By the time we had both sat down in his office, he had
recovered his composure somewhat. To my great surprise, he
started the conversation with "Bob, I really appreciate
your honesty in admitting to this mistake. I am very
disappointed that it has happened, but with some luck, we
can probably correct it. Thank you for owning up to your
mistake so readily".
That experience for me was bitter sweet and obviously long
lasting. It certainly had a major impact on my later mode
of operating when I became a manager. On the one hand, I
was mortified to have made such a stupid mistake yet on the
other hand, I had really felt good and upbeat about the way
it had been handled. I thought of that experience as I
read an article in the Herald Tribune this week (Jan 3,
2007) titled "2 of 5 bosses don't keep their word". The
article reported on a soon to be released study in The
Leadership Quarterly that found that by and large, many
bosses today are dishonest with and about their workers.
The study specifically pointed out some damming evidence
reported by workers about the honesty of their bosses:
• 39% said their supervisors had failed to keep promises.
• 37% said their supervisors had failed to give credit when
due.
• 31% said their supervisors had given them the "silent
treatment" in the past year.
• 27% said their supervisors had made negative comments
about them to other employees or managers.
• 24% said their supervisors had invaded their privacy.
• 23% said their supervisors had blamed others to cover up
mistakes or to minimise embarrassment.
Florida State University, the authors of the report,
suggest that such dishonesty creates problems for companies
such as poor morale, lower production and higher turnover.
These results confirm my own research in interviews and
focus groups with managers and their employees over the
last twenty years. I too found that the major reason why
people leave an organisation is because of poor management
and leadership. People don't leave a company, they leave
their boss!
What may surprise some readers is that the Florida State
study also confirmed many earlier studies about the
relationship between pay and turnover. It found that a
good working environment is more important than pay and
that "employees were more likely to leave if involved in an
abusive relationship than if dissatisfied with pay.
My own research also throws up two other factors of note:
• People join a company because of the excitement or
enticement of an interesting job.
• People stay in a company because of the values they share
with their fellow workers (assuming of course, that they
have good management).
So, where does that leave today's managers? And, most
importantly, what does it suggest for companies who want to
boost morale, increase productivity and decrease staff
turnover?
I suggest there are three answers to this question on which
every employer should focus in the relationship with his or
her workers, whether he or she be the CEO or a new
supervisor.
1. Make sure pay and conditions are appropriate for the job
and industry; and that they are fair and equitable. This
removes one of the stumbling blocks to effective employee
morale and satisfaction.
2. Ensure that the job provides the employee with the
ability to gain:
• a sense of real achievement for the work that they do
• recognition for what they achieve - regular "thank you's"
and notes of appreciation go a long way
• responsibility and even increased responsibility for what
they do - make sure they are able to make decisions
regarding their area of responsibility without having to
"upwardly delegate"
• from a job that has real interest and meaning for them
• advancement and development, either by way of career
progression, professional or personal development.
Remember, people join a company because of the excitement
of the job. It is up us as managers to do whatever we can
to keep that excitement level high.
3. Above all, be honest in what you say and do. A true
manager's mantra should be "Do as I do", not "Do as I say".
People leave a company because of poor leadership and
management. I have found that people will accept mistakes
if we are open about them. They will not accept cover ups.
The foundation for effective leadership and management is
honesty. These are qualities that everyone values.
So, where have all the honest managers gone? I have no
"amazing* research to provide the answers (although it
would make an interesting study). However, I will suggest
that:
• Honesty, particularly in western society, is in decline
generally due to the emphasis on individualism not
community. We have become a "Me too" society, where
material and personal gain are valued above the good of the
community. Every day one reads in the press or hears on
the TV some new "revelation" about a cover up, lack of
integrity, or just plain dishonesty that has led to yet
another major commercial or international disaster.
• Organisations, particularly since the late 80's, have
spent an inordinate amount of time and resources on
boosting the job "satisfiers" (as Frederick Herzberg called
them) – pay and conditions at the expense of the true
"motivators" – achievement, recognition, responsibility,
meaningful and interesting work, and growth and
advancement. The result? When material gain becomes the
all consuming and overt goal pursued by organisations (such
as maximum shareholder returns and exorbitant senior
manager benefits) over intrinsic basic human motivators,
managers will do almost anything to "cover their bums" so
that their extrinsic rewards are maintained.
Am I being too harsh on today's managers? I'd appreciate
your thoughts, opinions, comments and stories. I wonder
how many of today's managers would take the same approach
as my old manager when faced with a similar situation to
that of "my mistake"?
