Making the Most of Management Challenges

by Mark S. Fulton

In 1985 I applied for a position as the Philadelphia area manager for a large non-profit organization. I was the leading candidate for the job because my background contained job experiences that satisfied many of the position’s requirements.

In addition to the usual round of application forms, interviews and reference checks, the hiring process included a written assessment that gauged my intelligence, personality type and management style. I felt pretty confident when I turned in the materials.

The intelligence portion of the survey indicated that I’m reasonably bright. The personality component suggested that I am a pretty good communicator who likes attending to details, completing tasks and organizing things. However, the management section of the evaluation produced a troubling finding.

It seems that I’m not naturally inclined to manage people. According to the assessment, I’d rather do my own thing than be in charge of seeing that others do theirs.

This outcome raised a red flag in the upper ranks. How could someone who was applying for a job as a manger succeed if he was reluctant to wield authority? The fellow who would be my boss apparently thought my strengths in other areas could overcome this seeming incompatibility and fought hard for my candidacy. He persuaded the higher-ups and I got the job.

Thirteen months after I took the position, I won the Manager-of-the-Year Award. So much for employment evaluations! Actually, the assessment result played a key role in my success because it spurred me to work extra hard on my management skills.

I focused on the human side of management, rather than the corporate driven numbers. The numbers would follow, I reasoned, if I motivated staff members to strive for excellence, demonstrated genuine concern for their needs, treated them with respect and listened to their ideas. In short, I acted toward my subordinates as I wanted my superiors to act toward me.

We agreed as a team to set high standards for our center. All personnel, both paid staff and volunteers, professed allegiance to our center’s mission and took a personal stake in the center’s success. In return, I was a vigorous advocate for my staff when pay raises and other expenditures were being considered at headquarters. And I actively sought opportunities to acknowledge their performance personally and publicly.

Despite my stellar achievements as Manager of the Year, there were times when my adversity quotient and problem-solving skills were tested. One supervisor developed an attendance problem. Another wanted my job and set out to undermine my standing with the staff and bash my credibility with surreptitious poison pen letters to my division vice president. There were other challenges, as well.

I like what British politician Edmund Burke said: “He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skills. Our antagonist is our helper.” Here are some insights I’ve gained from wrestling with difficult personnel issues:

• Don’t overreact. Anger is a wind that blows out the lamp of the mind. A fit of temporary insanity will only lead to embarrassment and regret. Instead, be patient and empathetic—and build an reservoir of good will for future interaction.

• Get all the facts. There are always two sides to a story. When all parties have had their say, their willingness to listen and consider other perspectives increases. As Stephen Covey says, “Seek first to understand and then to be understood.”

• Give yourself time to think about it. Sleep on it whenever possible. You are less likely to make a rash comment or reckless decision if you give yourself a time out. You can see much better when the smoke of passion has cleared.

• Seek wise counsel. If time allows, run the situation by a trusted mentor. An objective viewpoint often yields options you might otherwise overlook. In addition, talking it over gives you the opportunity to think out loud as you formulate a response.

• Communicate your concerns clearly. When a conflict arises, be careful to criticize the behavior rather than the person. Give specific reasons why the behavior is unacceptable and describe how it is affecting the workplace.

• Go for win-win. Strive for a resolution to conflict that all parties can accept as fair and reasonable. This approach is harder than simply laying down the law, but it will teach others to consider needs other than their own in a dispute. Specify a precise set of actions to be carried out. Put it in writing and get the employee to sign it.

• Explain the consequences if the unacceptable behaviors don’t change. Put that in writing, too. Formal reprimands, demotions, reductions in pay and other such measures may motivate a recalcitrant to get with the program. Ultimately, dismissal may be the only course of action. If so, be fair, compassionate and decisive.

Evangelist Billy Graham once said, “Hot heads and cold hearts never solved anything.” That’s a pretty good inscription for a Manager of the Year Award.

Copyright 2001 © Mark S. Fulton