For those of you who read these columns regularly, please excuse this pause in the explication of servant leadership by Dick and Jane! Hearing tales of management from the thickest oblivion to outright barbarism can sometimes make even tried and tempered gray hair stand up on one’s neck. Have asked Dick and Jane to sit this one out, while the Corporate Dogs ravage the garbage and drop turds on the lawn – exactly where colleagues need to walk!
A tale of two women – quickly – with very different outcomes based only on the level of intestinal fortitude with some egotism and myopia thrown in for good measure. Both women are hard working, dedicated, knowledgeable professionals who have great business relations and outstanding sales numbers against all the odds (i.e., inexcusable services support). Both have been in the international shipping business for over 20 years.
One had a male manager who was instructed to “write her up”, with clearly implicit instructions to get rid of her – no dog bones about it. Now, the upper level manager issuing the orders was protected by the president and HR, and had no real knowledge or appreciation for the skills at risk. Her immediate manager, having made an assessment based on character, ethics and a thorough knowledge of the situation, flatly refused to issue the bogus correction notice. The sales rep is still there, a high producer and a great team member.
The other had a male manager who had no such instructions, but we are left with the strong impression that he felt threatened by the strength and knowledge of the sales person. She was also well known and well appreciated…. by anyone who was not intimidated by her! So, whether he was making room for a crony, following dumber instructions or plotting his own errant course, he ended up providing enough documentation to get his dumb corporate dog companions vulnerable to litigation. Because things are still pending, I am protecting the innocent – can’t make this stuff up, folks!
OK, then there are the guys who a) don’t get servant leadership yet and/or b) wouldn’t know how to apply effective leadership principles anyway and/ or c) simply don’t care… It is always high on my humor meter when I suggest that the management should be treating their front line – sales, operations, admin, etc… – as if they are “internal customers”! The faces, the pauses on the phone, the uh,er, umm, ughs not only indicate a shortage in the
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experience area, but also can challenge anyone who is not confident in their ability to lead effectively without pulling out the “I’m the boss card” – which just verifies that someone else should be managing. Then there is the clear and unhidden bias toward older professionals. I know a professional manager who had to make a decision to take a stand against an onslaught of unethical issues molded by lies and uninformed decisions. Even in the face of the top team performance in the country, and after having presenting HR with several pages of small print, bulleted, dated and documented proof that an age bias was not only present, but waged relentlessly and with full corporate dog blessings. He found that performance did not matter. He found that holding firmly to honesty and ethical business practices was not appreciated. He found that, regardless of the time and dedication he had spent, no other colleagues could afford to take a stand for him – it would be pointless. He found that he had incredible interviews. The hiring managers loved him and there were many who said “HR will be calling you very soon!”, but the calls never came, and he has moved on like so many have had to do. The inability to assimilate hard earned experience because of petty concerns will exact a price on corporations everywhere. The blatant abuse of older professionals may get muffled, but it is the same abuse that many people who may be “different” are called to correct. Let’s hope some of them live long enough to see a constructive turnaround for the benefit of all parties – even those with high numbers of corporate dogs!! R Fain Bob@snapshippingservices.com |
