Are You Managing by Reasoning or Rules?
Thirty five years ago, folk singer Harry Chapin wrote a song entitled "Flowers are Red." In it, he tells the story of a little boy who is asked to draw a flower in class. When he begins to use all the colors of the rainbow, the teacher corrects him saying, "No, no, no. Flowers are red. Leaves are green." Then his family moves to another city. Once again, he is asked to draw a flower. When his new teacher encourages him to use all the colors of the rainbow, he resists, saying, "No, no, no. Flowers are red and leaves are green."
Take a second to reflect on how often you have explained tasks and resolved problems with some variation of "That’s the way we’ve always done it" or "Those are the rules." I am certainly guilty of it myself. For many situations, rules are a necessary part of making work productive. But is also easy to use this practice to avoid dealing with ambiguous situations and those tough calls that sometimes arise. Then the question becomes, "What expectations are we setting?"
If reinforced enough times, most people will simply comply with the stated practices, even when they think there is a better way for accomplishing what needs to be done. But that brings us to those new to the workforce. For someone who is "learning the ropes," following someone else’s directions is the safe way to work. If you don’t know the answer, ask the supervisor. If an ambiguous situation arises, ask the manager. If you have completed the assigned task, ask the supervisor what to do next instead of looking around for what needs to be done. Managers sometimes complain to me about the "parade" in their offices because of the endless need for feedback and direction that some young people seem to desire. I always suspect that a good portion of these encounters are engendered by this pattern of behavior on the manager’s part.
So what’s the solution to this continuous expectation for immediate and specific feedback and direction? Simple, expect them to reason through these situations. How? Click here for some simple strategies.
ConnectYard Connects Students and Profs
This new communication platform not only connects professors and students using text messages and social media, but it allows them to use their preferred method of communication. This comes in handy when a professor prefers to email a student, but the student would rather receive that email as a Facebook message!
Students are more mobile than ever, no longer shackled to a PC tower and e-mail program. This makes it difficult for an educator to manage the varying ways that each student prefers to receive messages. Although the platform is yet another technological tool to learn, it eliminates the need for professors to join a myriad of social networks in order to communicate with students in a timely way. They no longer need to "friend" a student, an act that comprises each user’s privacy, in order to send their messages through the social networks they know their students check daily.
This platform integrates with technological tools already used in the classroom, such as Blackboard and Desire2Learn. Even more interactive is the ebook integration. If a student is reading an ebook, she can pose a question from her ereader and when the professor responds via email, it will show up directly in the student’s ebook notes on the device she’s using.
Case Study
Last year, I was elected as a county tax assessor for a small city that shall remain nameless. At 36, I am considerably younger than most everyone on my staff. While they are all dedicated in their work, their fear of doing anything wrong has stifled every attempt I’ve made to improve customer relations and streamline operations. I realize that some of this is due to their fear of being eliminated in a down economy with budget deficits. I’ve repeatedly assured them that this is not the case. But being close to retirement and pension, they avoid having to make any judgment having the potential for making waves. I was elected on a platform of saving taxpayer dollars and their behavior is thwarting my ability to make the necessary changes. What would you suggest?
Sadly, your experience is not unique. It is human nature for long-time job holders to become more risk adverse as they near retirement. The fact that so many aging Boomers hold government positions makes this challenge more pronounced than anyone could have imagined. This is resulting in a legalistic interpretation of every rule and regulation. Unfortunately, behavior of this nature can remove all reason from the equation. That said, most of these individuals still retain pride in what they do and a sense of mission sometimes not shared by their younger colleagues.
On one hand it is certainly appropriate to have some empathy and understanding for their emotions and concerns. On the other, present economic circumstances require that you make every effort to streamline the agency. So treading carefully, but resolutely, will be your most effective strategy. Here are some suggestions for finding that balance.
First, appeal to their sense of mission. Tell them that you understand their concern about having so much invested, literally and emotionally, in their positions. While being careful not to patronize them, it is important that they understand that you understand. Don’t worry if some don’t respond in some demonstrable way. The fact that they hear it from you is what counts.
Second, ask for specific input about how improve efficiency and productivity. Someone may challenge you with the apprehension that improved efficiency will result in fewer jobs. I would assure them once again that this is not the case. Being the conduit for tax revenues, assessors’ offices are one of the least likely to see budget reductions. Chances are, you will not be inundated with suggestions immediately. But if you persevere, some good ideas will come forward.
Third, openly seek to learn from them. You are the elected official. They have lived with the nuances of the tax code and its collection methods for years. Dive into the details with enthusiasm. This will demonstrate to them that you are not just another political hack. More importantly, you will develop an understanding of the department’s inner functions. From this, you will discover ways to improve functions and efficiencies on your own. Having studied this in depth, you will have more credibility when you want to make changes and need their support.
Finally, get out of your office! Sit in on appeals. Spend time answering the phone. Spend time at the front desk. Talk with constituents. Doing these things will accomplish three objectives: a) It will build relations with the staff; b) You will get a clear picture of what’s really going on; c) It will let them know that you have their back, provided that they continue to perform in a meaningful way.
All of this will take time and perseverance. The payoffs, however, will be manifold.
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