I am working with a small start-up organisation, which is into Education sector, we have a manager who is really hard working, efficient,knowledgable, but at the same time he is not a good leader, his team members are not really happy working with him because he is too fussy, rigid and doesn’t get along with others easily, we keep on getting many complaints against him which we also agree, we had tried talking to him and realising him his weakness but he is not ready to accept.
As an HR person I had tried interacting with them ,tried doing small events where they get chance to interact with each other and have done R & R also for them to motivate and show interest but can’t see any improvement. This is the peak season and we do not want to lose Manager, when we see he is holding lot of work for us, request if somebody can help with some solution.
Regards
Arshpreet
From India, Delhi
As an HR person I had tried interacting with them ,tried doing small events where they get chance to interact with each other and have done R & R also for them to motivate and show interest but can’t see any improvement. This is the peak season and we do not want to lose Manager, when we see he is holding lot of work for us, request if somebody can help with some solution.
Regards
Arshpreet
From India, Delhi
Hi Arshpreet,
It seems to that that the time has come to invite the manager to a Job Appraisal.
At the appraisal, you should congratulate him on his hard work; efficiency and knowledge, before turning to his leadership qualities.
It could be that he does not know what is expected of him, so you should be questioning him about his leadership decisions... why and how he reaches them. It might just be a simple case of mentoring.
Hard working staff, often need a pat on their backs and a simple Thank You goes a long way.
Do not tell him that you don't want to lose him, for that sends a message that perhaps someone higher up wants to get rid of him. Instead, tell him that an all round manager with leadership skills has a better chance of promotion within the company, particularly when the company is a start up.
I hope the above helps and gives you something to think about.
Regards,
Harsh
From United Kingdom, Barrow
369It seems to that that the time has come to invite the manager to a Job Appraisal.
At the appraisal, you should congratulate him on his hard work; efficiency and knowledge, before turning to his leadership qualities.
It could be that he does not know what is expected of him, so you should be questioning him about his leadership decisions... why and how he reaches them. It might just be a simple case of mentoring.
Hard working staff, often need a pat on their backs and a simple Thank You goes a long way.
Do not tell him that you don't want to lose him, for that sends a message that perhaps someone higher up wants to get rid of him. Instead, tell him that an all round manager with leadership skills has a better chance of promotion within the company, particularly when the company is a start up.
I hope the above helps and gives you something to think about.
Regards,
Harsh
From United Kingdom, Barrow
He seems to have 'worker Bee' qualties (hard working all alone) but not 'Queen Bee' qualities which means delegating work to others and monitoring their work.To me, it appears to be a personality issue. Some may want to build imporatnce around themselves by workig hard but all alone and keeping all information to themsleves, probably believing that it ensures their economic security and probably feeling that parting with work, information and knowledge with others make them dispensable by the management.His overt behaviour of being fussy and cribbing about work done by others may be to show that they are not good at their job You need to diagonise the cause for such behaviour by spending some time with him and then decide what kind of initiative whether mentoring as Harsh suggested or any orientation training or counselling by the senior leaders will address the issue.There is no point shooting in darkness without knowing the target.
B.Saikumar
From India, Mumbai
B.Saikumar
From India, Mumbai
Sure, we can help.
1. Analyse the work / Time distribution.
2. Find a slot of about 45 min./ day for progressive migration to Leader.
3. Plan a progressive Training / Workshop / Counseling sessions.
4. Include some Audio Visual or Movies relevant to the situation.
5. Offer incentives for migration.
6. Allow for self planning with Action Plans review.
7. Take the full support of Top Management.
8. Have Group Discussions with Peers for Improvement.
9. Have Internal / External Evaluation Team.
10. Celebrate the Success.
From India, Kundan
1. Analyse the work / Time distribution.
2. Find a slot of about 45 min./ day for progressive migration to Leader.
3. Plan a progressive Training / Workshop / Counseling sessions.
4. Include some Audio Visual or Movies relevant to the situation.
5. Offer incentives for migration.
6. Allow for self planning with Action Plans review.
7. Take the full support of Top Management.
8. Have Group Discussions with Peers for Improvement.
9. Have Internal / External Evaluation Team.
10. Celebrate the Success.
From India, Kundan
Dear arshpreet,
Frist of all we should consider this issue that a manager is a person whom direct the activities of others, and without followers, there is no manager and no output. So regarding the quality of a manager, he knows that company needs him and he knows as well that he is behavior is not ethically fine with others, but the roots of the case are his behavior and if your company can help him to meet and consult with some psychologist it will be ok in this stage. Hence as an HR Practitioner you should be fair to other colleagues as well and follow up this case seriously.
From Singapore, Singapore
Frist of all we should consider this issue that a manager is a person whom direct the activities of others, and without followers, there is no manager and no output. So regarding the quality of a manager, he knows that company needs him and he knows as well that he is behavior is not ethically fine with others, but the roots of the case are his behavior and if your company can help him to meet and consult with some psychologist it will be ok in this stage. Hence as an HR Practitioner you should be fair to other colleagues as well and follow up this case seriously.
From Singapore, Singapore
Dear Ashpreet,
I see that there are contrasts.
When You say the Manager is hard working, efficient, knowledgeable, but at the same time he is not a good leader, his team members are not really happy working with him because he is too fussy, rigid and doesn’t get along with others easily, we keep on getting many complaints against him which we also agree, we had tried talking to him and making him realize his weakness but he is not ready to accept.
Taking that data I interpret it as:
He is not a Lazy Job/Responsibility shirker, he probably does more than what he is expected to and expect the same from the others on his team
He may not a Buck-Passer either, as he may do the barest minimum, delegates and try to shift responsibilities across to others, sometimes to give themselves an not so easy life, and sometimes to intolerant to deficiency in their abilities.
He may not be a Pessimist and a Negative type either. If one is consistently negative or pessimistic about things at work, doesn’t try to make them look at the positive side, such people will be able to justify every thought pattern he holds.
He could be the Competitive type who finds his team isn't moving at the pace and the level he wants them to. Someone who feels he has to constantly prove himself, take credit for things and generally have to compete in one-upmanship. That’s just the way most competitive people are, I’m afraid, the one's who always want to win. I see that such people could lack the self-confidence to face reality for what it really is, and have to cover up their own deficiencies by raising their self-esteem through hot air.
Firstly the role of a Manager and that of a Leader is different.
In his 1989 book "On Becoming a Leader," Warren Bennis composed a list of the differences:
"– The manager administers; the leader innovates.
– The manager is a copy; the leader is an original.
– The manager maintains; the leader develops.
– The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people.
– The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust.
– The manager has a short-range view; the leader has a long-range perspective.
– The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.
– The manager has his or her eye always on the bottom line; the leader’s eye is on the horizon.
– The manager imitates; the leader originates.
– The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it.
– The manager is the classic good soldier; the leader is his or her own person.
– The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing."
Bennis concludes, "I believe that there are very distinct differences between the role of a manager and the role of a leader. But the roles should not be in conflict with each other. Sustainable, high-performance organizations recognize that there is a symbiotic relationship between managers and leaders and they ensure that both are being utilized effectively. I believe that we manage things (processes, procedures and outcomes) and we lead people (employees, customers and others)."
Going by this the issue then you could be having with your Manager could be aspects of Age (the Age/Experience between the Manager and the team, if it is too wide then there is one problem - Generation Gap perhaps, and when there isn't much there is another type of a problem - Oh he isn't more experienced than us so why should we go with him sorts,
Qualification - premier/specialized vs non-premier/non-specialized,
Cultural Background ( early education, language, Hindi Non-Hindi etc.)
Work Ethics (Values, Discipline, etc.) and lastly the most critical aspect is EGO ( this can run into volumes if one has to explain this).
I can empathize with the manager in this case as I've had and still have issues when working with people. This isn't a mind-set, but a fact. Maturity has taught me over the years to adjust and adapt. The levels of thinking, thinking out-of-the-box, creativity, innovation, problem-solving, not throwing up more problems but a variety of offering solutions when tackling issues, are all factors.
My suggestions would be to get all of them the Manager and the Team Members together, and give them a common goal the organization to achieve. Let them have a brain storming and perform a SWOT Analysis. After that they draw out a plan to execute the task with responsibilities clearly marked.
Encourage them to be constructive, not just positive. Discuss responsibilities for the changes that would have to be made. Concentrate on what can be done, instead of reasons why they can’t. Ask them to come up with solutions; this way, they have to be looking forward instead of viewing things through dark-colored glasses.
Resist the temptation to indulge in competing with each other; instead, emphasize the need for teamwork and stress common goals that all should be working towards. That way, they may start thinking about how to collaborate instead of compete.
Last but not the least, if I may state the truth, your talking to the Manager if you are all in the same age/experience group may not yield the result, you might need someone with more experience and wisdom to deal with this, need not be from an external source, as they can't really help the cause so much.
From India, Hyderabad
I see that there are contrasts.
When You say the Manager is hard working, efficient, knowledgeable, but at the same time he is not a good leader, his team members are not really happy working with him because he is too fussy, rigid and doesn’t get along with others easily, we keep on getting many complaints against him which we also agree, we had tried talking to him and making him realize his weakness but he is not ready to accept.
Taking that data I interpret it as:
He is not a Lazy Job/Responsibility shirker, he probably does more than what he is expected to and expect the same from the others on his team
He may not a Buck-Passer either, as he may do the barest minimum, delegates and try to shift responsibilities across to others, sometimes to give themselves an not so easy life, and sometimes to intolerant to deficiency in their abilities.
He may not be a Pessimist and a Negative type either. If one is consistently negative or pessimistic about things at work, doesn’t try to make them look at the positive side, such people will be able to justify every thought pattern he holds.
He could be the Competitive type who finds his team isn't moving at the pace and the level he wants them to. Someone who feels he has to constantly prove himself, take credit for things and generally have to compete in one-upmanship. That’s just the way most competitive people are, I’m afraid, the one's who always want to win. I see that such people could lack the self-confidence to face reality for what it really is, and have to cover up their own deficiencies by raising their self-esteem through hot air.
Firstly the role of a Manager and that of a Leader is different.
In his 1989 book "On Becoming a Leader," Warren Bennis composed a list of the differences:
"– The manager administers; the leader innovates.
– The manager is a copy; the leader is an original.
– The manager maintains; the leader develops.
– The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people.
– The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust.
– The manager has a short-range view; the leader has a long-range perspective.
– The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.
– The manager has his or her eye always on the bottom line; the leader’s eye is on the horizon.
– The manager imitates; the leader originates.
– The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it.
– The manager is the classic good soldier; the leader is his or her own person.
– The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing."
Bennis concludes, "I believe that there are very distinct differences between the role of a manager and the role of a leader. But the roles should not be in conflict with each other. Sustainable, high-performance organizations recognize that there is a symbiotic relationship between managers and leaders and they ensure that both are being utilized effectively. I believe that we manage things (processes, procedures and outcomes) and we lead people (employees, customers and others)."
Going by this the issue then you could be having with your Manager could be aspects of Age (the Age/Experience between the Manager and the team, if it is too wide then there is one problem - Generation Gap perhaps, and when there isn't much there is another type of a problem - Oh he isn't more experienced than us so why should we go with him sorts,
Qualification - premier/specialized vs non-premier/non-specialized,
Cultural Background ( early education, language, Hindi Non-Hindi etc.)
Work Ethics (Values, Discipline, etc.) and lastly the most critical aspect is EGO ( this can run into volumes if one has to explain this).
I can empathize with the manager in this case as I've had and still have issues when working with people. This isn't a mind-set, but a fact. Maturity has taught me over the years to adjust and adapt. The levels of thinking, thinking out-of-the-box, creativity, innovation, problem-solving, not throwing up more problems but a variety of offering solutions when tackling issues, are all factors.
My suggestions would be to get all of them the Manager and the Team Members together, and give them a common goal the organization to achieve. Let them have a brain storming and perform a SWOT Analysis. After that they draw out a plan to execute the task with responsibilities clearly marked.
Encourage them to be constructive, not just positive. Discuss responsibilities for the changes that would have to be made. Concentrate on what can be done, instead of reasons why they can’t. Ask them to come up with solutions; this way, they have to be looking forward instead of viewing things through dark-colored glasses.
Resist the temptation to indulge in competing with each other; instead, emphasize the need for teamwork and stress common goals that all should be working towards. That way, they may start thinking about how to collaborate instead of compete.
Last but not the least, if I may state the truth, your talking to the Manager if you are all in the same age/experience group may not yield the result, you might need someone with more experience and wisdom to deal with this, need not be from an external source, as they can't really help the cause so much.
From India, Hyderabad
You are in a small start up ?
Then the answer is very simple.
Start ups are promotor driven.
You need to go to the owner / promotor and explain to him the problem
Then owner (if you have convinced him), will call the manager (most probably not in your presence) and explain to him what his problem is and how the promotors want him to change.
In alternate, they may decide he is the type of person they want and the rest of the team are lazy laggards and hire more managers like him.
Either way, behind that, there is little you can do.
Allowing the promotors to take this step conveys the seriousness of the matter.
And also the manager will not feel insulted, hurt etc because its the owners who are telling him what he need to do
Be a warned, he will probably complain about you too :)
From India, Mumbai
Then the answer is very simple.
Start ups are promotor driven.
You need to go to the owner / promotor and explain to him the problem
Then owner (if you have convinced him), will call the manager (most probably not in your presence) and explain to him what his problem is and how the promotors want him to change.
In alternate, they may decide he is the type of person they want and the rest of the team are lazy laggards and hire more managers like him.
Either way, behind that, there is little you can do.
Allowing the promotors to take this step conveys the seriousness of the matter.
And also the manager will not feel insulted, hurt etc because its the owners who are telling him what he need to do
Be a warned, he will probably complain about you too :)
From India, Mumbai
HI
I feel our consueling session help your team of manager as to how to tackle this. I represent a company 1to 1help.net where we provide consuleing session to corporate clients. To know more about it you can connect with me @
Would be happy to get in touch with you.
thanks
Dipankar
From India, Pune
I feel our consueling session help your team of manager as to how to tackle this. I represent a company 1to 1help.net where we provide consuleing session to corporate clients. To know more about it you can connect with me @
Would be happy to get in touch with you.
thanks
Dipankar
From India, Pune
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