Managing the Wheel

Management by "as if"

Management by "as if", is the worse management methology every seen in the managing circle today. It is outdated, crude, and totally unusable in today's fast paced, rapid changing situation, whereby information flows not only between the subordinate and superior, but also horizontally, between peers.

What is meant by "as if" management? A manager/superior, believing in and employing this kind of management seeks to manage subordinates "as if" by default the manager is the king, the one who is always giving the orders, providing the directions, the divinely appointed leader whereby only he or she is capable enough to come up with decisions which none of the subordinates are capable of. Emperors used this, and so do most monarch of the ancient days. On the subordinates' part, no questions are needed, entertained, or encouraged. The subordinates are expected to follow the orders right down to the letter. Not questions will be entertained on the power of the superior. The very nature of the superior being in the superior position, giving orders and directions that the subordinate is to follow without questions, cannot and shall not be challenged.

On the manager's part it seeks no worries on employee motivation, no earning of respect, no rewarding on the subordinates. Welfare to the subordinate may be awarded, but such is rare, and upon bestowing such "additional acts of beyond-the-standard-operating-procedure" by the superior to the subordinates, the superior normally expects something in return from the subordinates. Example, to work even longer hours, or to make other forms of sacrifice willingly, in mind of the received "welfare".

This approarch of management normally cause resistance and a sense of negeativity among the subordinates. The superior earns no respect from them, and the system provides no security to the subordinates' perceived situations. "As if" style of management is crude and primitive, is perceived as dictatorial, with minimal effort from the manager/superior to maintain the suborinates' situation, interest, and well-being.

Organisations employing such management usually faced problems in loyalty and generate a sense of negative culture among the work-horses, or those that contribute in the frontline of the organisation's businesses. Usually the negative energy is directed towards the organisation, the superiors, the leaders beyond the superiors, etc. With sufficient negative energy within the eco-system of the managed subordinates, the organsiation might either experience a break up, due to either a mass exodus of subordinates leaving, or an uprising by the subordiantes. If managed poorly (normally this will be the case, as the people adopting "as if" management normally will have difficulties in understanding the subordinates' plight, and thus, of the real cause of the situation) the organisation might experience a serious interruption to its operation, or a total collapse.

posted by Pencil @ 8:03 PM