dispatches from the new world of work

Quote of the Day

"Managers are the dinosaurs of our modern organizational ecology. The Age of Management is finally coming to a close. The need for overseers, surrogate parents, scolds, monitors, functionaries, disciplinarians, bureaucrats, and lone implementers is over, while the need for visionaries, leaders, coordinators, coaches, mentors, facilitators, and conflict resolvers is steadily increasing, pressing itself upon us. ... Nearly unnoticed, a far-reaching organizational transformation has already begun, based on the idea that management as a system fails to open the heart or free the spirit. This revolution is attempting to turn inflexible, autocratic, static, coercive bureaucracies into agile, evolving, democratic, collaborative, self-managing webs of association."—The End of Management, Kenneth Cloke & Joan Goldsmith

Gets my vote!

Tom Peters posted this on 11/29/04.

Comments

Tom, while I agree that management of PEOPLE is dead (and leading, coaching and facilitating trumps), I do not agree that management of processes, projects, structure, alignment, time, change and such is dead.

Great companies rely on great management to bridge strategy, goals, and execution. And management does not have to be hierarchical - everyone should develop effective management skills. Management is particularly important during times of change and competitive pressures - which means great management is worth its weight in gold right now!

I have always advocated that we should management work, organizations, and processes, but not people.

Posted by Lisa Haneberg at November 29, 2004 3:50 PM

Like everyone else in a world of increasing transparency and self sufficiency, managers either adapt or get voted off the island. Leadership, talent recruiting, tight financial administration and strategic planning (all of which might or might not be considered elements of "management") have never been more critical.

The differentiating factor in the new model of leadership is the ability to recruit and develop imaginative, self-directed team members. While it is easy to recognize this and CLAIM you are doing it, it is VERY difficult to consistently execute it - especially in an old guard company with its entrenched parasitic kingdoms.

I do agree with Lisa H. that management can and should be more of a distributed role among peers and partners than a hierarchy. Increasingly, people who NEED to be "managed" through intimidation, discipline, scolding and bureaucracy and who are incapable of working on a self-directed team are also becoming dinosaurs.

The good news is that the new communication culture provides instant feedback. Incompetent dictators lose their best resources to new breed leaders, and the best leaders have the choice and opportunities to vote with their feet.

Posted by Tom C. at November 29, 2004 9:07 PM