Over the years I have developed my own theory of management. It may not be the most productive system, but after spending years looking at management I think it is the most accurate of today’s time.
I call it the “Oh look, it’s a left hand” theory of management.
So where does the name come from? Well, a long time ago I started this joke where if a manager came making decisions that were already made, or bulldozed things without thinking about anyone else. I would stare and start waving my left hand.
It is ultimately an update on the expression “The right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing”.
It astounds me, how little consideration there is for other people out there. For instance, I would do a setup for a presentation in a room the night before an event. Even though the event would be first thing the following morning, you would always find someone being helpful and putting the equipment away. The normal excuse is “Well I didn’t need it”. I wouldn’t mind but they weren’t even using the room.
You also get it when you get managers who, a) suddenly make decisions which have no bearing on what is going on around them, b) announce a new policy without taking to anyone about it, and c) get involved without having any idea what they’re doing.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve been spending more and more of my time looking at my left hand. I’ve now named all of my freckles.
So what causes all this? In four words, communication, and lack thereof.
We live today in a world where information is power, and most people like holding onto power. The problem comes from the fact that they become so paranoid about holding onto power, that they don’t tell anyone anything.
For example, over the last couple of weeks I’ve been working with the school librarian on sorting out a replacement system. We’ve gotten as far as deciding on the new system and ordering it. So it was to my surprise when at my departmental meeting that my head of department announced that he was going to look at getting a new library system.
He looked rather upset when I told him that it was all sorted out with the customer. I wouldn’t have minded, but he knew I’ve been working on it.
Maybe, this isn’t just a communication problem. Could it be caused by people wanting to be seen to be doing something? Looking busy is now more important than being busy.
So that is my theory. Managers have to be seen to be doing something, completely ignoring everything around them is only an added bonus.
Bye for now.