“Manage as you would like to be managed”
April 17, 2008- This is “the Golden Rule of Management,” [*]Â according to an article in Information Management Journal. In a swift survey of the literature, the authors identify six classes of bad managers:
- The Incompetent
- The Bully
- The Crook
- The Know-It-All
- The Dodger
- The Walking Policy Manual [*]
They argue that the impact of bad management is keenly felt, impacting on businesses as well as personnel:
As we enter the information age in the workplace, many employees add value simply because of what they know. They are usually referred to as knowledge workers, and how these employees are managed is seen as a major factor in determining which firm will be successful in the future … At the present time, in all types of organizations, power is shifting not just at the top management level but at lower levels as well. For example, knowledge workers believe they have the right to work autonomously. According to M.A. Von Glinow’s 1988 book The New Professional, knowledge workers tend to identify more with their profession than they do with any organization. [*]
In the face of this culture shift, the authors assert that authoritarian, old-style management techniques simply do not work. Referencing their Golden Rule, “Manage as you would like to be managed,” the authors highlight five more detailed techniques for modern managers:
- Demonstrate a high level of integrity
- Remove fear from the workplace
- Fight for employees
- Help them save face
- Overcome a lack of trust[*]
It’s depressing to realise how many books and articles have been written on managing a bad manager, indicating a large market, and therefore a large number of people quite literally labouring under an incompetent, disinterested or down-right dishonest boss. However, it’s heartening to see such common-sense and common-decency solutions as the results of management research.
