Business executive • MAY 11


Snapshot Adrian Furnham reflects on some


Modern management styles (some best consigned to memory)


spent all their time walking around lost their way, forgot to do some planning, or did not notice the need for marketing. And who has quality circles now? Who


W


dresses down on Friday? Why no more “process re-engineering” or managers called “coaches”? Their demise may be a source of fun to outsiders who observe them — though perhaps less amusing to those at the sharp end of silver-bullet, magic-potion management. Individual managers will always do their own


thing, no matter what happens to management fads. A heady mixture of personality, preferences, and pathology means that individual managers often adopt quirky styles they believe to be effective. In minor doses they are little more than amusing but, taken to extremes, they can lead to disaster. Acronym management: This is in-group abbreviation management. “Has the CFO completed his KRAs for the FRMT?” The aim is to speak a private language that excludes all non- speakers. The more you can speak the jargon, the closer you are to the centre of power. Blue-sky management: This is theoretical, futurological, big-picture management. It is not about the grubby here-and-now or the tedium of appraisals, balance sheets, or customer satisfaction. It is the magic world of business gurus. Managers believe their job is to understand the big issues and all else will follow.


Amnesic management: This is management by forgetting, but highly selective forgetting; for


AdriAn FurnhAm is the Professor of Psychology at University College, London. He is a prolific author, frequent broadcaster and world- respected consultant.


24


hat happened to MBWA (management by walking around) or the “one minute Manager”? Perhaps the managers who


example, disagreeable meetings or, most serious of all, promises made to others. Not to be confused with “Alzheimer’s management,” which is a more extreme version. Anecdotal management: This is story telling, ripping yarn, guru parable management. Direction is given and decisions are made by use of curiously repeated anecdotes of long-past events that often seem to have nothing to do with the problems at hand. Corporate entertaining management: Not only is the customer king but he or she needs a good lunch and a sponsored memorable event. The marketing budget is spent with enthusiasm by this party-going manager who loves to be at the centre of things. Doppler-effect management: This is achieved by walking very fast and purposefully in public places. Conversations are all sound bites about future meetings: “We must link up!” or “Lunch soon!”. These are said earnestly just before disappearing upstairs, into a lift, or round the corner. Email management: This is non-contact management by sending continual urgent messages, instructions, minutes, and memos. It is measured by the word, not by the impact. Curiously, follow-up on any of the bewildering babble to emerge from the fingertips of these shy managers seems unimportant. Personal development management: This is management by degrees; by studying; by the organisation paying for the manager to complete a very expensive MBA. Managers are frequently on courses, completing assignments, or on fact- finding missions – which is good for their career but maybe not so good for the business. Peer-meeting management: This is management by talking to other managers in and outside the business – literally. This is supposed to reduce the SILO problem (being in unconnected sections in the same organisation), ensure better integration, and improve communication. Equally, meeting managers


from other similar businesses (in size or sector) in nice hotels in the (ideally foreign) country is even better for gossip and a free lunch. Reorganisation management: This is organogram, cage-rattling management that involves fiddling with the structure of the organisation. It is the amateur version of process re-engineering. Just as people get used to the new structure and system, they are reorganised. Secrecy management: This is hush-hush style management. Information is power, so it needs to be kept out of the hands of practically everyone.The secret of secrecy management is being “in the know” and, more importantly, making sure nobody else is. Total obedience management: This is your no-nonsense, sergeant major, Victorian Gradgrind* approach. A manager’s job is to give orders for the staff to obey. All this consultative, democratic, first-among-equals staff is sheer piffle. Manager knows best, tells you what to do, you do it. No doubt you will recognise some of these


management styles and maybe have experienced (or suffered?) from them.


*Character in Charles Dickens “Hard Times”.


This Snapshot has been adapted from Adrian Furnham’s book People Management in T


urbulent Times, by permission and with grateful thanks.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32