MANAGEMENT
When you keep presence of mind, only then do you have autonomy. When you have the autonomy, only then can you manage affairs (Chinese classic book). Management is harnessing of available resources that lies scattered. It is the ability to assemble them towards a shared goal. Of all the resources, the human resource is undoubtedly the most complex and difficult to manage.
To undertake its management, does it have to be confined to an individual, group of individuals or is it body of law, rules and regulations? Is it the ‘boss’, irrespective of where he/she is perched on the organisation hierarchy, representative of ‘management’ that ‘manages’.
Personally I have seen ‘management’ expand to many individuals, when no critical decision is to be made and shrink itself to ‘one man’ when something important has to be decided. Does management have a name for itself or is it so malleable to suit circumstances, that it sometimes is in the rules, processes, procedures, regulations or above all in law. Because management can be individual or a group of persons, we witness invariably that all unpleasant decisions are passed upward to the demon called the ‘management’.
The disgruntled employee, following an increment and performance appraisal exercise is always told, it is ‘management decision’…… not mine!
A good worker should be seldom spurred. No goading. No supervision is required. Yet we as managers are always desirous to manage those who need no management. The ones requiring management are ignored and allowed to develop into long term parasites that nibble at the organisation roots, consistently weakening it. But this piece is about ‘over management’; the ultimate temptation of not delegating work or delegating it improperly.
The primary characteristic in any manager who fails to delegate is the assumption that he is ‘know-all’. Such will never delegate. Possessed of fragile and insecure ego will never do too. Control freaks will be amongst the last who would ever want to delegate anything.
This disease, malaise, leads to the pitfall of over management. As a manager, such are obsessed to be one whose fingers are to be found in every pie. Every initiative is their initiative - all others’ initiatives over time become their initiatives. This is for you, the egotistical manager.
Afflicted to over manage, these managers, never manage results, they love managing the effort, the desire to be seen all over everywhere and every time in the organisation is so dominant in such personalities. Those who love ‘over management’ will endeavour to fill their diaries with ambitious appointment meeting schedules. The trivial and petty issues are discussed in hair splitting details and later you find them complaining how stressed they are; how much overworked they are and how time is so short and limited for them.
In the over management of things, managers get into the transaction trap- tiniest details are asked for to be explained. Everything must be done here according to how ‘I’ would have done, is their singular mantra and attitude. Obsession of achieving paralysis by unending analysis, leads to decline in desired results.
The next level of this pitfall of over management is seeking continuous updates, details about any and every point/ project leading up to passing summary judgements upon people and results. The first tell-tale signs are constant breathing down the necks of subordinates and colleagues.
After assigning a task they immediately set upon and start to manage the task themselves. Failure to delegate with complete disdain. Such managers give short deadlines and they relish in the ultimate delight of asking and seeking explanations. In fact they begin to disturb and annoy those who are assigned and have the capacity to deliver. These managers also change rules of the game or even the goal post too often. The over management executive must have the last word on every single detail of work, initiative, thought or project.
An executive who over manages will also demonstrate tendencies towards being judgmental, especially on areas where his own weaknesses are known to him. To mask own inadequacy these will love to override and ridicule the subject matter experts. I have personally witnessed such streak in those who are on a rapid promotion chart. They pretend to know the intricate details of ship building to managing treasuries in financial institutions. Illusions unchecked and nurtured over long periods, give false sense of confidence.
As said, over management tempts managers to frequently bring in new rules, standards and processes. At times, rules are made while the project is ‘on’ and in some cases of an absolutely ridiculous behaviour, rules are held close to the chest and are not shared at all in totality with the team. I had a supervisor who would disclose only 3/4th of the matter, because the remaining 1/4th details, he mistakenly always thought was his survivor tool. He burnt himself on the pyre of personally held ‘talent and secrets.’
On observation, the over managing manager is by and large very aggressive in attitude: you find them demonstrating open hostility if either their views aren’t accepted or are in any way challenged. He would normally raise the voice decibel to intimidate. My personal recipe to colleagues dealing with the over managing traits, manager, is to be sympathetic than to react and get angry; for the man (over managing) without recognition and knowledge to himself ‘denudes’ in public his hidden personality and traits.
In my career, nature has blessed me to at least witness such managers to my humorous delight. An angry person is so funny to look at…. recall your managers who would lose their shirt at the drop of a hat- he would froth in the mouth, disability of disarrayed thoughts become quite prominent and visible and above all the apparent physical features betray and exhibit deformities- the eye brows being not in their natural place…in few cases you will find the over managing manager decline into usage of expletives!
Any challenge put up or posed to the over managing person is a gifted scroll containing evidence of disloyalty. Disagreements are seen as an act of treason, a betrayal of sorts and consequently need to be eliminated through capital punishment. No dissenting view is ever echoed in the corridors of an over managed institution.
Organisations like these shut all their windows; to ensure nothing new or challenging enters for these managers; a closed book on the shelf is a far prettier sight than an open one that potentially can cast fresh light and therefore put to peril, the right to over manage. The over managed organisation usually hate their clients.
All requests for services or products are turned down on the pretext that the processes don’t permit, rules don’t permit and the magical word of today’s business environment’ ‘compliance and governance’ don’t permit! Hide away from the market through these masks and ultimately wipe way the organisation from the market place- this is a definitive prescription for leading the organisation to complete failure.
It is also significant to recognise that subordinate too, should not over manage their bosses. Assist your boss through good counsel and advice; do not try or attempt to become his soul mate.
An over managing supervisor will falsely convince that it is actually meaningful and rewarding to do his junior’s work. Many a times in my career, I have been called upon by colleagues to not only take decisions on their behalf but also to read the drafts of their letters emails, communications… upwards delegation is one method of letting the organisation to become over managed.
The temptation to do it yourself as against those hired to do must be avoided at all cost. It is the responsibility of supervisors to ‘manage’ and let people do their work; step in only when called upon that gives confidence to team workers. The over managing managers not only shun accountability but they dread it too. As managers recline on the high back chair provided to you; swing and ‘think more’ and ‘do less.’
The writer is a senior banker and freelance columnist
