Leaders

What works with A doesn’t seem to work with B? But I meet them and work with them frequently. And then there also are C, D, E, and F.

I realize I am partnering 6 leaders for either their businesses or in specific projects.

While basic steps in partnering leaders don't change much, what certainly does change is way one partners. This revolves around way one gets work done while working with these leaders.

Let me illustrate through a few examples.

• How does one build working trust with leader? -through task completion or through first focusing on relationship
• How does leader take decisions? - does s/he prefer problems being stated and figuring out his/her own solutions or does s/he prefer hearing recommended solutions too?
• How does leader prefer interacting?-
• In person or comfortable with virtual meetings too
• Prefers agenda being shared beforehand or is ok getting a meeting without a pre-shared agenda.
• How does leader prefer hearing bad news? How does s/he prefer being disagreed with?- in person or comfortable over phone /emails too?
• What is level of structure/unstructure leader prefers? How much data/feeling/intuition driven is s/he?
• How far or near does leader draw organization boundaries and how permeable are those boundaries?  How does one ensure one's acceptance and effectiveness through those boundaries?

These are some of initial questions I have formed my workable answers around. I want to explore and develop these answers further in upcoming months.

-

Sourav

Exceptions!

´Exceptions´ are multi-headed monsters that all of us detest or love (depending on whether we benefit from it or not) but none of us can avoid in our work lives. 

We create processes and quality systems and focus on their reliability but sooner or later an exception always does come up. 

A few manifestations of exceptions I’ve come across:

• Management by Exception: I used to work at a factory at a point of time. I found some managers managing only exceptions. They used to find exceptions only through excel sheet trackers or when a workmen raised a hue and cry.  If there was no escalation, everything was running ok and the manager was doing his job.

• Setting Precedent or Going Against Established Precedents:  A boss says ´Should I make an exception for you? Well! I can but then I would be setting a precedent that I might have to follow for others or go against a precedent already in place.´

• Policies for Exceptions: A boss says ´What´s policy for making exceptions? J I can´t act without a policy.´

• Feedback by Exception: This is another manifestation of management by exception. A boss says ´If an exception gets bubbled up to me; my reportee is not doing his job. He obviously would get dinged in performance appraisal for this. ´ Reportee responds ´Well! I´ll ensure you hear of no exceptions/escalations.´

I feel dilemma around exceptions comes from our discomfort with feeling ´we are standing out´ and with anything/one that ´stands out´.

Decision to be taken always is ´what´s correct response here?´.  Response to processes should be ´how will these aid me? ´ and not ´how will these replace me?´.

Exceptions can never be eliminated because our processes/policies/excel sheet trackers would only be for a specific set of general circumstances. Whenever a unique circumstance arises, an exception might be required.

What has been your experience with exceptions?

-

Sourav