6/19/11

Micro Managers Can Be The Underlying Destruction of an Organization

“Okay George I took your advice and invited my key executives and department heads to an offsite dinner meeting.  They were told to bring two sentences that described me on an unsigned piece of paper so I didn’t know who wrote what.  I assured everybody there would be no indignation or retaliation just a learning experience for me to be a better owner.  And much to my shock, I was defined as a micro-manager and narcissistic.  Once I got my composure, we talked and there is no doubt I have been a micro-manager and yes I certainly give off the appearance that it IS all about me.  So now my old friend of great wisdom, “HOW DO I FIX ME, I ask with a trembling voice?”
(
Sammy M. Owner, Heavy Equipment Manufacturing, Springfield, MO)

A:  Knowing you as I do, pictured you trying to get your composure.  LOL. 
First and foremost, you must want to change for the good of YOU.  Management and ownership of any company comes with tremendous responsibilities.  You must demonstrate knowledge, judgment and technique on the business side.  And you must be filled with logic, compassion and understanding on the personal side.  But most of all you must demonstrate CONFIDENCE IN YOUR TEAM!  If there is no confidence then there is no team or worse there is no manager.

Your personal experiences may give you a false sense of security or confidence in the quest to manage your organization effectively.  Most all companies are filled with live, breathing, human beings who have brains and are willing to use them.  USE THE RESOURCES that you have within your organization because you have confidence in them.

The next concept you must grasp is a little word called, “TRUST.”  This is one of the most difficult processes to master for a micro manager.  Learn to delegate and understand that other people are in most cases, NEVER going to do it just like you.  Be willing to deal with it and become a mentor/teacher so those employees improve and continue to make your life easy.

When I interview prospective clients for the consulting side of business, it’s important that I know what I’m dealing with so I ALWAYS ask this dynamite question:  Just think of the knowledge I ascertain from the possible answers.  What would employees say about you?

“At this company which statement is more correct?”
A.     I have to earn your trust?  OR
B.     I have to earn your distrust?

Most narcissistic people I have met want all the glory.  Their writings and verbal discussions are so filled with the words, “I and ME” that it becomes nauseating.  But let somebody on the team make a mistake and it suddenly becomes all about “that” person and what is worse, the narcissistic wants everybody to know that the mistake wasn’t his/her fault.

You must learn to hold your tongue.  Get the people who attended the dinner to give you a secret signal when they hear you get on one of your “hey look at me moods.”  Think of the words you say and ask yourself, “How would I react if my boss just said that to me?”  You can teach old dog new tricks and you must start retraining yourself to give the accolades to the team and take the heat when heat comes on behalf of the team.

There is no magic, just discipline of self.  If you don’t want to improve, I can say with some certainly you will never achieve measurable improvement.  

I have a former client (business owner) that recently was involved in vehicle accident and life flight to an ICU unit at a trauma hospital.  There are no patient phones in the room, but I’d bet all the teeth in my mouth and the 38 strands of hair left on my head that he used his cell phone to contact his office multiple time a day.  I’ve thought to myself, what if he would have died in that accident?  Where would the company be at this very instant?  Would the 100 +/- employees carried on?  Have they carried on?  I’d also bet they have carried on and hopefully it will be an eye awakening event for him that it’s not all about him.

Remember that your thoughts of today are programming your tomorrow.  If you woke up this morning and said to you, “this is going to be a terrible day” it probably will be.  So why not wake up each day and tell yourself, “I’m going to be a better person today” and you will be.  Again I say to you, YOUR THOUGHTS OF TODAY ARE PROGRAMMING YOUR TOMORROW!  Use that thought process wisely and you will reap the rewards.

Regards,
George Mancuso, President
Client Growth Consultants, Inc.