The Hindu Business Line : Divide and rule

QUIZ any management consultant on the challenges he normally faces in getting any plan of action through to the implementation stage, even if the management agrees in principle to put it into operation, and pat would come his reply: Games are routinely played by managers, mostly at the senior- and middle-management levels, and more so in family-managed organisations. No modern organisation can ignore this if it strives for organisational excellence, without which it would merely survive.

A common game is to divide and rule. Amazingly simple are its rules. Just point out the negative weaknesses of one of your subordinates to the other; provide him some simple clues on how to capitalise on those weaknesses and watch the fun. Repeat the same with other subordinates too. Another game is to pick on the weakness of the most promising subordinate and bulldoze him with maximum work. Simultaneously, keep saying, "the big boss is not very happy with you; unless you improve, you will be in trouble" or something to that effect.

Fretting and fuming, the junior colleague would just compromise and put in much harder work. However, somewhere down the line, he would still commit mistakes, and afford the boss ample opportunity to pin him down. The merry-go-round goes on and on, till the employee is branded a mediocre performer. In the process, his real strengths never come to light. Most managers are happy having unintelligent or plain ordinary individuals work for them. Hence, they play any number of games in the selection interviews. More often than not, the very bright candidates are never selected, beyond the first stage.

The managers usually select the second- or even third-rate candidates. Such candidates are more faithful followers, with hardly any or the bare minimum leadership potential. The net result is that the organisation has few leaders at the top, and an ineffective second and third line of managers.

A third game commonly played is the mutual admiration society: Three or four managers band together and merrily praise each other to whomsoever is powerful in the organisation. If one of them happens to be close to the CEO, the gang simply enlarges its circle of influence, and their weaknesses rarely get exposed.

There are several other games played by managers, and their machinations can put off the best behavioural specialist — most HR managers helplessly watch such games. The only solution for any organisation is to appoint a seasoned professional of high integrity at the top, who will work closely with the CEO, but have his ears and eyes firmly on the ground. He must assiduously collect all facts, and directly confront managers who play such games. Going in for the best of engineer-MBAs in manufacturing organisations is one answer. Since these professionals bring in a high quality of professional management, politics would tend to lose all importance.

Building a no-nonsense culture of meritocracy helps put brakes on devious games. Managements need to be ever vigilant to check such manoeuvring by managers and to cleanse the work atmosphere at regular intervals.

A. B. Sivakumar

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