I know, I know, it’s an old-fashioned quote, but it still rings true today.
The notion of long and short timeframes is virtually non-existent in the corporate world, where everything must be done quickly, not to say in a hurry. Why not, if it gets everyone on the same wavelength and doesn’t overtax staff unnecessarily.
Make no mistake about it, this is not about glorifying “worker protection” against employers. Rather, it’s about deploring a new management posture in many companies: you need to know everything, immediately and in all areas: it’s a bit like social networking taken to the extreme in the workplace.
Not knowing something as a manager has become a stigma, a failing, even incompetence. But so, what? Do we really need to master everything at every level, at every stage of a process?
We’ve noticed that young managers are becoming hyperactive, even if it means exhausting themselves unnecessarily and increasing their mental workload in a totally pointless way. This is where “he who embraces too much, embraces poorly” comes in. A few observations:
• You can’t keep up with everything and you can’t control it. • No longer able to distinguish between the important and the urgent. • Believing you know and understand everything, when in truth you know very little. • Having thousands of contacts and a totally disproportionate network, but no longer being able to detect the key people in the company or among partners. • Wanting to save the world with declamatory phrases but being incapable of analysing your neighbour’s difficulties. • Considering the number of sessions attended as a guarantee of performance.
The list is long… but not reassuring. At a certain hierarchical level of management, it is often preferable to
• Delegate and show confidence by emphasizing everyone’s skills (which doesn’t mean being naive…),
• Define 4-5 “battles to be fought” and maintain this line over time,
• Focus on actions that make a difference and leave a “personal imprint”,
• Take the time to help managers and staff achieve their objectives,
• Block out “empty” slots in the diary to allow yourself time and flexibility.
The overexposure, overactivity, and one-upmanship we see in companies is worrying in more ways than one. Management’s well-being becomes uncertain, and the company believes it is achieving its objectives, whereas just because things are moving around a lot doesn’t mean they’re moving well…
It is to be hoped that this “I’m on all fronts” mania will fade away, as it will not produce good results in the next 5-10 years. Doing less but better may be the solution. So, is “he who embraces too much, embraces poorly” really outdated?
Happy reading and see you soon.