2.3 THE SKILLS YOU NEED TO BE A GREAT BOSS: Developing A Management Model

(EXTRACTION FROM TEAM MANAGEMENT: Improving Team Effectiveness at http://www.mindtools.com)

 

Birkinshaw's Four Dimensions of Management framework highlights four dimensions that represent key management processes and practices.

 

Use the framework to think about the approach to management that is currently being used, and to explore whether there is a more effective management model that can developed.

 

BIRKINSHAW'S FOUR DIMENSIONS OF MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
1. Managing Across: Activities (relates to how managers coordinate activities with people over whom they have no direct control)
Bureaucracy	·        organizations use formalized rules, job roles, procedures, and formal guidance to get things done ·        Results are predictable ·        A certain amount of bureaucracy is needed in most organizations ·        The downside: o   it can make change difficult to achieve o   it can disengage and demoralize team members
Emergence	·        is spontaneous and is based on independence and autonomy ·        People organize themselves, work independently, and take appropriate action quickly ·        The downside: o   teams and organizations can feel chaotic and disorganized o   People can lose focus because there are too few boundaries and rules in place
2. Managing Down: Decisions (relates to how people make decisions in the organization)
Hierarchy	·        is based on authority and power ·        can motivate people to work hard in the long-term ·        The downside: o   assumes that "the boss knows best” o   can block upward communication o   can lead to poor decision-making by powerful people o   can also lower morale and engagement if managers don't listen to and support to team members, or if they don't give people credit for their contributions
Collective Wisdom	·        people across all levels of the team and organization contribute to decision-making, and work to solve problems collectively ·        improves morale and engagement ·        leads to better decisions when knowledgeable people are involved in the decision-making process ·        The downside: o   can take a long time to make decisions if too many people are involved in the process
3. Managing Objectives (relates to how people set and pursue organizational goals)
Alignment	·        everyone works towards common goals ·        The downside: o   use key performance indicators to measure progress; can be ineffective or counter-productive in hard-to-define areas such as creativity and innovation o   too much focus on short-term results o   gives people less flexibility in how they reach their objectives
"Obliquity"	·        people pursue goals and objectives indirectly ·        team members are also encouraged to work towards their own individual goals ·        team members have greater ownership over their work ·        they decide how they reach their goals ·        The downside: o   people can lose direction and momentum o   they can be wrong in their intuitions
4. Managing Individual Motivation (relates to how people are motivated in the organization)
Extrinsic	·        approaches to motivation that come from outside (pay raises, promotions, or praise) ·        easy for organizations to measure performance and reward team ·        The downside: o   these drivers don't always address the deeper needs o   can leave us feeling dissatisfied, disengaged, unhappy, and unfulfilled
Intrinsic	·        rewards that people experience from doing a task or activity well ·        often very satisfying ·        The downside: o   difficult to manage

Applying Birkinshaw's Four Dimensions of Management

In reality, many organizations will be on the left-hand end of each scale.  The challenge for managers comes if they want to move from more traditional management principles to the alternative principles.

 

HOW TO USE Birkinshaw's Four Dimensions of Management
Moving from Bureaucracy to Emergence	A certain level of bureaucracy is necessary to run an organization effectively but, often, organizations get bogged down in it. ·        reviewing organization's business processes and procedures ·        eliminate unnecessary steps ·        map processes out, and challenge the necessity of each step ·        remove bureaucracy and improve processes and procedures ·        work on building a culture of trust, so that people know that they are trusted to do their jobs properly without excessive bureaucracy ·        empower your people ·        avoid micromanagement ·        encourage use of initiative
Moving from Hierarchy to Collective Wisdom	Some level of hierarchy is essential for most organizations to function. ·        build an environment of trust, so that you encourage your people to communicate with one another and speak freely without fear of being judged negatively ·        involve people in collaborative decision-making ·        encourage people to use social networking tools such as blogs, intranet forums, and Twitter to communicate with one another ·        ask people to present their ideas at team meetings
Moving from Alignment to "Obliquity"	·        establish a clear mission ·        give people flexibility in how they'll work towards this mission ·        give people a dedicated time-slot during the working week to "follow their hunches” ·        review projects regularly ·        give backing to those that show potential
Moving from Extrinsic to Intrinsic Motivation	It best to motivate your people using a combination of extrinsic and intrinsic motivators. Each person is motivated by different things. ·        understand what motivates them as individuals ·        understand what type of work suits their personality and their strengths ·        allow them to craft their jobs to suit them better