The Manager - Edition 44 - Pulling a truck - by Rob Lambert
Cultivated Management Newsletter
Hi,
I hope you've had a cracking weekend and are all set for the week ahead.
Life in the Lambert household is chaotic as usual. Now the football season has started we find ourselves stood in cold fields for most of the weekend. When my littlest starts football we'll have some choices to make as all 3 of them could be at different locations at the same time. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Most of the time (not always) my son's see me as a kind of super-human. I can do magic, I'm funny, I can drive a car, I have interesting hobbies and I disappear to do insanely brilliant work every day. As it turns out my magic is actually quite poor, I'm not funny, my driving of a car is mediocre at best, my hobbies actually do include collecting stamps and my work is helping very few people - and mostly helping a small handful of people get rich. I feel like a fraud but to them I'm the best. I know it wont last. When they're teenagers they'll ignore me and be embarrassed by me. But for now I'm milking it. It boosts my esteem. I'm useful to them.
The most interesting aspect is that they think I'm really strong. I'm not weak, but I'm far from physically strong compared to many people. As they think I'm super strong they make me sit and watch The Worlds Strongest Man with them. You know the show? Where beefcakes pull trucks with ropes and carry giant metal objects around? That one.
And they think I'm stronger than those guys :)
What's all this got to do with management? A lot really - especially when it comes to change.
The one event I love is the one where the strong men and women pull a truck or bus with ropes harnessed around them. They start slow and then they gather momentum until eventually the truck is moving.
And in management, when we're making epic change (the kind I like) we're like the strong man or woman pulling the truck.
The truck represents change. And we're pulling a new initiative or change. If we pitch it right and get the right support we'll likely have people who also believe in the change - and so they join us to pull the truck. Soon the truck is moving. Change is happening. We're pulling together in the right direction.
But in most organisations there are also people in the truck. They're not working against us, but they're not with us either. We're pulling them along and they've yet to decide what to do. Management's job is to convince them to get out of the truck, which lightens the load and then to grab a rope and start pulling.
As with all change programs though there will be people at the back of the truck pulling in the other direction. These people are trying to stop the change. They want it to fail. They have a different direction they're pulling in.
My job is to ignore them. My job is to focus on the people who are pulling the truck. And to support them - thank them - build strong relationships with them. They are my most important people. They deserve my focus.
Once I'm in the groove of working with my supporters its now time to convince those in the truck to get out and help. But at no point do I give much thought, or air time, or energy, to those pulling in a different direction.
And this is where most managers fail. They stop building supporters and pulling the change. And they stop and focus on those trying to stop it. And the change goes the wrong way. And it's hard to start the change again.
How you build more supporters is complicated and up to your own style but here's what I do:
Make the true north vision really freaking interesting
Make it clear how we're planning on getting there
Make it clear that I cannot guarantee anything and I might fail, but I am willing to try
Identify talented and passionate people who will support you -and give them a chance to shine
Keep talking to people and being positive about the change
Ignore the naysayers, silent plotters and people pulling in the opposite direction
Hire more new people with lots of energy who believe in your vision
Overcome every obstacle one at a time
Keep talking to those who have yet to decide which way to pull
Give feedback to people in your own direct reporting line who are not on-board with you.
Don't keep changing your mind over what you want.
Don't give in (unless of course giving in is the right thing to do)
And don't pay much attention to those pulling in the opposite direction. After a while they'll tire.
Go forth and bring about change.
Rob
Stuff To Click On :
1 - Google is closing down Google+ after a security breach. Shame as the platform lead the way in so many new and useful features - shame very few people were on there.
2 - If you're a remote worker or someone interested in working remotely then this community may be of interest to you.
3 - The most persuasive word in the dictionary.......because?
4 - Finally the tech community are opening up their eyes to pressures of commerce. People are being skeptical enough to ask "What are we building this for?"
5 - Heavy read, but worth it if you have the patience - learning and development and the corporate world.
6 - Love this - knowing a managers salary motivates people - but only if the manager is only one or two levels up. Knowing your colleagues salary doesn't motivate. Interesting.
Thanks for reading this week's edition of The Manager.
Thanks
Rob..