Introduction
In today's fast-paced business world, effective management is crucial for the success of any organization. However, despite the importance of good leadership, many workplaces are plagued by poor management practices that hinder productivity, employee satisfaction, and overall company performance. In his book "Good People, Bad Managers," Samuel A. Culbert explores the reasons behind this widespread issue and offers practical solutions to break the cycle of bad management.
Culbert argues that while most managers have good intentions, they often fall into harmful patterns of behavior due to various factors, including workplace culture, business education, and personal motivations. By examining these root causes and providing actionable strategies for improvement, the author aims to help both managers and employees create a more positive and productive work environment.
The Prevalence of Bad Management
One might assume that successful American businesses are led by talented, effective managers who foster innovation and employee satisfaction. However, Culbert reveals a surprising truth: bad management is far more common than we'd like to believe.
The Norm, Not the Exception
According to annual polling by Gallup, a US research company, four out of five people in management positions lack the talent to manage effectively. This statistic is alarming, especially considering the widespread admiration for American work culture around the world.
While there are certainly exceptions, particularly in start-ups and small businesses, the majority of employees in larger companies and organizations experience poor management on a regular basis. Interestingly, an academic study found that one of the most helpful things a manager can do is simply leave employees alone when they're working productively, rather than offering misguided assistance.
Acceptance of Poor Management
Perhaps even more concerning than the prevalence of bad management is the fact that it has become so deeply ingrained in workplace culture that many people have come to expect it, shrug it off, or fail to notice it altogether. Culbert provides an example of this acceptance by discussing the case of Carly Fiorina, a former CEO of Hewlett Packard who was fired for secretly eavesdropping on the company's board of directors. Despite this clear breach of trust and poor management decision, Fiorina went on to join the board of AT&T and received millions of votes when running for US Senate in 2010.
This acceptance of bad management practices is problematic because it prevents organizations from reaching their full potential. Imagine how much more profitable businesses could be and how much higher employee satisfaction could rise if poor management were addressed and improved upon.
The Self-Focus Problem
One of the key issues contributing to bad management is the tendency for managers to focus primarily on their own success rather than the success of their team members.
The American Dream and Self-Focus
The American dream often celebrates individuals who fight their way to the top, overcoming obstacles and achieving great success. While this can be inspiring, it has also led to a business culture that prioritizes personal achievement over collective success. Many managers, even those with good intentions, fall into the trap of concentrating solely on their own accomplishments and career advancement.
The Boy Scout Mentality
Culbert describes this self-focused approach as the "Boy Scout mentality." Like a Boy Scout eager to perform good deeds, managers may become so fixated on their idea of being helpful that they fail to notice the actual needs of their employees. Just as a well-meaning Boy Scout might help an old lady cross the street without realizing she didn't want to cross in the first place, managers may implement policies or offer assistance that doesn't align with their team's true requirements.
The Importance of Other-Focus
In contrast to this self-focused approach, good managers prioritize what Culbert calls "other-focus." This mindset is similar to effective parenting, where the goal is to understand and support the child's interests and needs. Good managers ask questions, listen actively, and create the necessary conditions for their employees to achieve success. They maintain a two-way relationship with their team members, recognizing that their own success is intrinsically linked to the success of those they manage.
Interestingly, many managers understand the importance of this approach when they're on the receiving end. When asked about their experiences of being managed, most complain about not getting the attention and support they need from their own supervisors. They express a desire to hear "What do you need?" rather than "I need this from you!" However, this understanding often fails to translate into their own management style.
The Role of Business Education and Workplace Culture
Bad management practices don't develop in a vacuum. Culbert points out that both business education and workplace culture play significant roles in shaping managers' behaviors and attitudes.
Business School Shortcomings
In many business schools across the United States, there's a tendency to prioritize "hard skills" that directly impact profits and the bottom line over "soft skills" related to interpersonal relationships and emotional intelligence. This focus can leave MBA graduates ill-equipped to handle the human aspects of management.
For example, while business schools may teach concepts like active listening, they often fail to emphasize the importance of deep reflection and self-awareness. Skills such as understanding how one's personal background impacts their worldview and interactions with others are crucial for working effectively with diverse teams, yet they're rarely taught in traditional business education.
Workplace Culture and Conformity
Once graduates enter the workplace, they often encounter a culture that values conformity over honesty and innovation. Over time, employees learn that "not rocking the boat" and avoiding expressions of frustration or disagreement is the safest path to career advancement. This culture of conformity can stifle creativity, prevent necessary changes, and perpetuate poor management practices.
Culbert provides an example of this phenomenon with a case study involving the Los Angeles Times. When a new CEO implemented a controversial holiday policy that gave managers more control over employees' time off, staff members were too afraid to speak out against the unpopular decision. Similarly, managers hesitated to approve too many vacation days due to pressure from their superiors. The result was widespread dissatisfaction and a missed opportunity for constructive feedback that could have led to a better policy.
The Cycle of Deceit and Self-Protection
One of the most troubling aspects of bad management that Culbert identifies is the prevalence of deceit and self-protective behaviors in the workplace.
Routine Deception
Culbert argues that deceit has become a core characteristic of management, with significant time and energy devoted to various forms of dishonesty. These behaviors can include:
- Being friendly with colleagues you dislike
- Participating in meetings you consider a waste of time
- Staying quiet on controversial issues
- Getting others to deliver bad news
- Exaggerating your role in successful projects
- Preparing excuses in advance of potential questioning
These actions, while seemingly minor, contribute to a workplace culture that breeds pretense, discourages dissent, and expects perfection from imperfect humans.
Managerial Tactics for Self-Promotion and Self-Protection
Managers often adopt specific tactics to maintain their position and authority, even when these actions don't serve the best interests of their team or the organization. Some common strategies include:
False consultation: Managers may make a show of asking for opinions and appearing engaged in discussions, even when their minds are already made up and commitments have been made.
Borrowed authority: To avoid making arguments themselves, managers might invoke the voice of a powerful authority figure, saying things like, "I've talked with Ted, and this is how he thinks we should do it."
These behaviors, driven by the constant need to self-promote and self-protect, can be exhausting for managers. As a result, they often struggle to pay attention to and address the genuine needs of their employees.
The Challenge of Breaking Bad Management Patterns
Recognizing the problems associated with poor management is one thing, but actually changing these deeply ingrained patterns is another challenge entirely.
Structural Incentives for Bad Management
Culbert points out that there are often structural incentives in place that reinforce bad management practices. Many managers believe that simply telling employees what to do is quicker and easier than taking the time to understand, guide, and support them. In the short term, this directive approach may indeed seem more efficient.
The Difficulty of Bottom-Up Change
Employees often find it challenging to force change on their managers, even when they're unhappy with the current management style. The power dynamics in most workplaces make it risky for staff to speak up about poor management, especially when their career advancement depends on their manager's approval.
For example, an overworked employee who feels unsupported might hesitate to bring up their manager's shortcomings if they know a promotion opportunity is on the horizon. The fear of jeopardizing their chances for advancement often leads employees to remain silent about management issues.
The Need for Top-Down Leadership
Given these challenges, Culbert argues that meaningful change in management practices typically needs to come from the top of the organization. He shares an example from his own consulting experience, where he attempted to change the mentality of a global corporation with 150,000 employees. Despite presenting his ideas to the HR team, he received only a non-committal response. It was only with the active support and enthusiasm of the CEO and other top leaders that new management systems could be introduced.
This experience highlights the crucial role that high-ranking executives play in driving cultural change within an organization. Without buy-in and commitment from the top, efforts to improve management practices are likely to face significant resistance.
Concrete Steps Toward Better Management
While changing entrenched management practices can be challenging, Culbert offers several concrete strategies that leaders and managers can implement to improve their approach.
Replacing Performance Reviews with Two-Way Conversations
One of the most significant changes Culbert recommends is abandoning traditional performance reviews in favor of more balanced, two-way conversations. He argues that performance reviews, despite their intended objectivity, tend to be highly biased and potentially damaging. They often reduce an employee's performance to a single manager's personal opinion, which is then recorded as fact. Moreover, the hierarchical nature of these reviews can intimidate employees into silence about management problems.
Instead, Culbert proposes a two-way conversation system that he developed while working with a major global corporation. This approach centers around four key questions:
- What has your contribution to the company been?
- How has your work reflected our company's values and goals?
- How have you helped other people to succeed?
- How have you changed your behavior based on what you've learned?
By structuring the conversation around these questions, both the manager and the employee can engage in a more open and productive dialogue about performance and growth.
Implementing Two-Way Accountability
Taking the concept of two-way conversations a step further, Culbert introduces the idea of two-way accountability. In this system, both the manager and the employee answer the four questions mentioned above. The process begins with a coin flip to determine who goes first. That person then answers the questions while the other listens and takes notes. After the first person finishes, they swap roles, ensuring that both parties give and receive feedback.
This approach has several benefits:
- It breaks down hierarchies, creating a more equal playing field for discussion.
- It encourages honesty from both parties.
- It allows both the manager and the employee to receive feedback and identify areas for improvement.
- It fosters a culture of mutual respect and shared responsibility.
While this method represents a significant departure from traditional performance evaluations, Culbert argues that the positive impact on personal relationships and business productivity makes it well worth the effort.
Shifting Mindsets and Prioritizing Honesty
In addition to structural changes like two-way conversations and accountability, Culbert emphasizes the importance of adopting new mindsets and prioritizing honesty in management practices.
Challenging Cultural Expectations
To improve management, leaders need to recognize and challenge some of the core cultural expectations that drive bad management practices. These include:
- The desire for immediate results
- Expectations of perfection
- The association of punishment with accountability
For example, while we often expect employees to admit when they don't know something or need help, the workplace environment rarely allows for such vulnerability. To foster improvement, managers need to actively encourage and create safe spaces for people to say, "I don't know," without fear of judgment or repercussion.
Seeking Feedback
Good managers should proactively seek feedback from their employees and other stakeholders. Culbert provides an example from Home Depot, where board members were assigned to walk through store aisles each quarter, chatting with employees who were encouraged to provide honest opinions. This practice, combined with explicit confidentiality guarantees, allowed managers to uncover deep-seated issues such as unrest about pay and lack of opportunities for female employees.
By actively seeking feedback, Home Depot was better prepared when faced with a gender discrimination lawsuit. They had already identified the problem and taken steps to address it, demonstrating the value of open communication channels between management and employees.
Using the First-Person Pronoun
One simple yet effective technique Culbert teaches to promote honesty is the use of the first-person pronoun in business discussions. Instead of saying, "We need to do this," managers should try phrases like, "Let me tell you how I see it..." This approach:
- Acknowledges that the statement is a personal perspective rather than an absolute truth
- Invites others to share their own views
- Encourages honest dialogue and diverse opinions
Managers can further promote open discussion by following up with questions like, "Do you see it differently?" This creates space for alternative viewpoints and can lead to more innovative solutions.
Cultivating Authenticity
By prioritizing honesty and authenticity, managers can transform their relationships with employees and create a more positive work environment. When leaders genuinely listen to and understand the thoughts of their team members, they're better equipped to:
- Identify and address problems quickly
- Foster a culture of trust and open communication
- Improve employee satisfaction and engagement
- Drive innovation and productivity
Final Thoughts: Breaking the Cycle of Bad Management
In "Good People, Bad Managers," Samuel A. Culbert presents a compelling case for the urgent need to address and improve management practices in the workplace. He argues that while most managers have good intentions, they often fall into harmful patterns of behavior due to various factors, including workplace culture, business education, and personal motivations.
The key to breaking this cycle lies in shifting from a self-focused approach to an other-focused one. Good management requires a genuine interest in understanding and supporting the needs of employees, rather than solely focusing on personal success or short-term results.
To achieve this shift, organizations need to:
- Recognize and challenge the cultural norms that perpetuate bad management
- Implement structural changes, such as replacing traditional performance reviews with two-way conversations and accountability systems
- Encourage honesty, authenticity, and open communication at all levels of the organization
- Provide training and support for managers to develop better interpersonal skills and self-awareness
- Foster a culture that values employee feedback and diverse perspectives
By taking these steps, companies can create a more positive and productive work environment that benefits both employees and the organization as a whole. The result is likely to be increased job satisfaction, higher retention rates, improved innovation, and ultimately, better business outcomes.
It's important to note that changing entrenched management practices is not an easy task. It requires commitment and leadership from the top of the organization, as well as a willingness to challenge long-held beliefs and behaviors. However, the potential rewards – in terms of employee well-being, productivity, and overall business success – make this effort well worth undertaking.
As we move forward in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing business landscape, the ability to adapt and improve management practices will become even more crucial. By addressing the issues raised in "Good People, Bad Managers" and implementing the suggested solutions, organizations can position themselves for long-term success and create workplaces that truly bring out the best in their employees.
In conclusion, Culbert's book serves as a wake-up call for leaders, managers, and employees alike. It challenges us to critically examine our workplace cultures and management practices, and provides a roadmap for positive change. By working together to break the cycle of bad management, we can create more fulfilling, productive, and successful work environments for everyone involved.