Friday 27 September 2019

21st century management is never about telling people what to do

Listen directly to the podcast version of this post here.

When I left the corporate world in 1990 to start my professional practice as a mentor I conducted a number of seminars to showcase my work in front of possible clients.

At one seminar, and in a room full of mainly CEO’s, I declared people management dead and that there was a new management happening that was all about processes in support of people bringing their best to their work.

There were a lot of sniggers in the room and a couple of out loud laughs.

I didn’t leave the venue that day discouraged though because two people thought my insight deserved further discussion. They were both to become major clients.

There’s nothing derogatory happens when I make the statement today. Only a few conservative white males are hanging onto to the old command and control of people management.

They are oblivious to the fact that even the so called father of management Peter Drucker always knew that trying to manage people is a bad idea.

My insight in 1990 was not based on Drucker or any other guru, rather personal experience.

I had invested 15 years into learning how to lead people well. I knew beyond any shadow of doubt that telling people what to do and trying to control their actions was never a good idea.

What I learned was that the role of a leader was to see and bring out the best in people and that to do so requires processes that fully support people in bringing their best to their work.

In the 30 years since and through working with over 1000 leaders, women and men in more than 40 countries, I’ve learned over and over that processes include policies, procedures, practices, principles, philosophies, structures and systems. All of these need to align and must mean that is is simple for people to bring their best to their work.

I have arrived at several conclusions after 40 years of studying and observing leaders and leadership and through working up close and personal with leaders. One conclusion I make is that there are 5 roles to be mastered in order to see and bring out the best out in people, including yourself.

I’ve already explored some aspects of these roles in the past. As part of writing a book on them I will be sharing further in future posts and podcasts.

For now you may wish to complete the pulse checks here to see how you're going in these 5 roles.

21st century management, the art and science of ensuring your processes, policies, procedures, practices, principles, philosophies, structures and systems are in alignment and mean that is is simple for people to bring their best to their work is a part of the Systemizer role.

Recommended action

Begin today to systematically review all of your processes, policies, procedures, practices, principles, philosophies, structures and systems with your people and update them to better reflect seeing and bringing the best out in people.

Do Your Work.

Be remarkable.
Ian

No comments: