Kenneth Cloke and Joan Goldsmith wrote a very interesting book entitled The End of Management. In this book, they assert that managers are the dinosaurs of our modern organizational ecology. They go on to assert that the “‘Age of Management’ is finally coming to a close.” Their treatise is that “the need for overseers, surrogate parents, scolds, monitors, functionaries, disciplinarians, bureaucrats, and lone implementers is over. . . ”
If, by now, you managers are wondering what comes next, our authors assert that the new need, the true need in modern day business is for “visionaries, leaders, coordinator coaches, mentors, facilitators, and conflict resolvers.”
In a recent conversation with an “old school” manager/friend, I reached out to explain to him why he was alienating his subordinate. I explained very carefully that management as a self-contained system fails to open the heart or free the spirit. This approach has truly taken our organization to new heights. Of course, one can only work within one’s comfort zones, and many managers, especially, old school managers, only know one approach, and that is, the industrial revolution way.
Let me suggest that you analyze the quality of the individuals with whom you work. Then, step back and realize just how amazing those individuals are with “butterfly” qualities.
Do not penalize your charges because of your insecurities. Build a team that “has your back” by empowering them to be all that they can be.
The revolution quoted by Cloke and Goldsmith is one of “turning the inflexible, autocratic, static, coercive bureaucracies into agile, evolving, democratic, collaborative, self-managing webs of association.” From our perspective, the object is to allow those butterflies the freedom to fly.
How do you manage a butterfly? Work together on the goals and then get out of its way. Provide it with just the very basic, fundamental needs and goals of your organization, and then trust it, love it, empower it, and encourage it.
If I could possibly find one example that would clearly embrace our success as an organization, it is that of doing everything possible to kill “parent to child management.” It is not enough to move into the 21st century with our thinking; it is most important to identify those individuals who get it and then give them the space “to do it.”
Are they traditional? Do they do everything the way you were taught in the “dark ages of the industrialized style of management?” Nope. Will it drive you crazy when you look for them, and discover that they are not on the flower where you expected to find them? Sometimes. Will they accomplish more than you have ever dreamed if you treat them with dignity, respect, love and freedom? Oh, yeah.
You see, it is not about control. Control is only necessary for those who are not trustworthy. Better than trying to control a non trustworthy individual, simply help them find work somewhere else. If they don’t get the mission, don’t understand the philosophy, and don’t work to their capacity, they shouldn’t be there.
On the other hand, if they are loyal, trustworthy, committed, and caring, back off and allow them to soar, and you will never see results of the kind they that they will deliver to you or your organization.
If they look at it as a job, if they are only comfortable with myriad rules, time clocks and books of policies, they are stuck in the past.
Leadership means trust.
The End of Management, Kenneth Cloke & Joan Goldsmith