Nurture and Grow
October 11, 2007 11:09 AM
A study conducted by Kimberly-Clark has concluded that business improvements are four times more likely, when senior executives mentor and encourage their senior managers' coaching and development efforts.
Quite why this came as a surprise to the learning and development director, Rick Woodward, whose group undertook the study, is beyond me. Surely it's obvious that when people are supported and encouraged, they tend to perform better - don't they?
Just take the parent child relationship and the positive and negative transactions which take place in our formative years. This is really nothing new and was of course, well documented by Eric Berne in his early theory of Transactional Analysis, which was originally developed in the 1950's.
Even today, Modern Transactional Analysis theory splits the Parent ego state into four quadrants. Nurturing and Structuring as positive quadrants; Spoiling and Critical as negatives.
Applied to most modern day management and mentoring techniques, it is easy to see how managers of all shapes and sizes fit into each of the TA quadrants, and how they might therefore elicit the sort of responses they do from those they are responsible for.
The role of the manager has traditionally been seen as that of an individual charged with the responsibility to apply structure and process to those they manage. Structure, because for the most part, they themselves are required to deliver against a set of goals which require organisational planning and resource management.
Consequently, the positive nurturing parent as an ego state, would not normally be associated with a directive style of goal setting and task management. Nurturing requires an individual to have the consummate self-belief and self-confidence to back themselves, so in a way, it should be of little surprise to Rick Woodward and his colleagues that only half their sample felt that their leaders backed them and mirrored their coaching and mentoring efforts.
In the meantime, the challenge remains managing the balance between the two, although in the case of Kimberly-Clark, both Woodward and his CEO Tim Falk appear to have been so impressed with the findings that they are extending their coaching and mentoring across the board of senior managers.
To my mind, their challenge is more cultural and behavioural than structural. Although their commitment and support of the processes they are introducing should be applauded, it remains to be seen whether this one-shoe-fits-all, one-trick pony approach will repay the dividends they deserve for the risks they are taking.
Comments
It does seem that many large organisations end up analysing behaviour and develop theories that are second nature to true leaders. We have all met the managers who won't take ownership of problems, support their staff in difficult situations, and try to rule by fear rather than commanding respect. This is repeated endlessly both in commercial organisations and public services.
I still remember an incident from 30 plus years ago where I, as a newly promoted sales exec, incorrectly priced a quotation which resulted in an order. I took it to my boss who without criticism called the would-be purchaser, explained the problem and received authorisation to increase the value to the correct amount. Thereafter I would always respect him, and he always praised his staff whilst mentoring their ideas and efforts.
A difficult act to follow but one that has stood me in good stead ever since. I also remember my father saying to me in you can't help someone ensure you don't harm them -surely one of the founding principles of good management.
richard williams - October 20, 2007 11:53 AM
Indeed it is Richard, and how sad that the morality, integrity and ethics of modern working life have slipped so far off the perch.
As much as that means there will probably be sufficient work for people like me, in perpetuity, it really should not be so.
Individual values now seem so driven by succeeding at all cost, that it is perhaps no surprise that many organisations are now failing to maintain cultures of unity, trust and sustainability.
Charlie - October 22, 2007 11:00 AM
The problem really is that the reason people are promoted is that they have supposedly become expert in their specialism, and not trained for the role that they are promoted to.
So managers in organisations that work like this are given power based on their knowledge - which means that they must be seen to be experts and defend that position against those others that are knowledgeable in their area.
This results in defensive behaviour and means that they inhibit learning around them (and stop learning themselves as learning is something you do not need to do if you are the expert - in this mindset you should teach others in your methods/processes).
Regardless of your communication style, this trait will have precedence as it will be a cultural facet (a meme) within your organisation and will have evolved to take precedence.
It is also a sign of weak minds and fear. Unfortunately, it seems to be the norm and is something that needs wholesale change to remove this needs to include process reengineering, management development, team building and incredibly strong leadership from a team that value the pursuit of knowledge and improvement above all else.
I commend Kimberly Clark for their efforts but question their surprise that this may be the case!! (Without meaning to be ironic!)
Chris Pengelly - October 24, 2007 11:44 AM