Are You A Robotic Manager? Take The Test

There are no rules here - we are trying to accomplish something - Thomas Edison 

I have been having some fun with the participants in my Human Manager program in an exercise that is based upon understanding ones Management style. The exercise involves the participants using their own experiences and insights on where they default to and also what might trigger them to leap from one style to another. Believe me we do leap from one to another based on the smallest change in circumstances, although we do have a default as our first preference. 

The 6 Styles of Manager are:

1. Super Human - Short Term 24/7 Bursts that Lead to Burnout

2. Human - Emotionally Invested and Human Focus First

3. Kind - Sympathy before Empathy  

4. Robotic - Absolutely Follow The Rulebook 

5. Tyrant - Fear Rules Everything

6. Sub Human - In The Gutter 

All have their own set of unique characteristics that can easily be observed and heard on a day to day, minute to minute and even second to second basis.

Not surprisingly most participants land on the default of a Kind Manager - driven primarily by their fear and subsequent avoidance of conflict and difficult discussions. Keeping the peace appears to be a strong preference to making progress on issues that may create some disequilibrium. 

I thought it would be worth exploring in more depth the Robotic Style of Management and give you an opportunity to complete a short survey to determine whether this is your current default style. 

The only rule here is to be honest with yourself when answering the questions. 

To determine the characteristics of each manager style the following questions are posed:

1. What would I observe the Manager doing?
2. What would I hear the Manager say?
3. What would the Team Members be Saying? 

For every question posed rate them as True (T) or False (F). 

What I Do:

Prefer engaging with a spreadsheet over another Human Being (T/F)

Keep a Copy of the Company Rulebook on my Bedside Table (T/F)

Compile Lists upon Lists upon Lists to appear Busy (T/F)

Nod My Head to Authority even when it Feels Wrong to do so (T/F)

Hide My Emotions from my Team because Emotion = Weakness (T/F)

Suppress any Original Thoughts even if they will Improve a Way of Working (T/F)

What I Say:

"We've always done it this way" (T/F)

"Just follow the Process " (T/F)

"That's The Order from Above and we must Follow It" (T/F)

"Here's The Manual" (T/F)

"I'm just doing what I've been told to do" (T/F)

"That's the way it is around here - if you don't like it you have a choice" (T/F)

What Team Members Say (maybe or maybe not not directly but it gets back to you):

"People are important to - it's not just about the Process" (T/F)

"Lighten Up - Why So Serious all the Time?" (T/F)

"Is there a Heart in there Somewhere?" (T/F)

"I Cannot Relate to You" (T/F)

"We Don't challenge the Status Quo or the Rulebook" (T/F)

"Boring, Boring, Boring, Boring.........." (T/F)

Add the True scores up and see where you landed:

10+ - You're a Certified Robot and need to Add Emotion or be Removed from a role where daily Human Interaction, Innovation, Experimentation and Challenge is Critical. 

7-9  - Somewhere within is a Heart however it rarely gets the opportunity to show itself for fear of the potential Reprisals from within the System. 

4-6 - At times you Slip Up and Surprise Yourself and Others with a Human reaction or Comment (keep doing this). 

0-3 You are well on the Way to becoming an effective Human Manager - well done

What did you Score?

Stay Tuned for the next instalment to test whether or not your default is a Human Manager. 

Mark LeBusque has a proven track record in driving up engagement, customer satisfaction and business results; and believes that all Humans turn up with good intent and are stifled by the archaic and hierarchical Management practices of the past 100 years that still drive business decisions at a significant cost and detriment to unleashing true Human potential.

Mark's Human Manager approach outlines in more detail the 7 Steps to Rewire Management and is not passive and doesn't involve flaky feel good activities that have no application to driving up business results. Mark is interested in breaking down the boundaries and barriers through creating disequilibrium over building bridges with drinking draws. A short term Feel-good approach does not create sustainable change and is often confused for it. 

If you are really serious about making progress in switching on the Human element and are prepared to have the conversation you need to have then let's talk. You will be amazed at the rate of change that occurs when working with me. It's Immediate.

The 2 day program is running in Brisbane in March, Adelaide and Perth in April and Melbourne and Sydney in May. For more information contact Mark via email: mark@marklebusque.com or check his website www.marklebusque.com 

A big thank you to Anne Maybus from www.cleverstreak.com who is helping me shape my first book on the topic of The 7 Steps to Rewiring Management (for release in May 2016). I am taking a light hearted approach to what is a critical topic, because there are already too many dull and boring books full of models and theories that are invented by folk who have never managed another human being. My story is real and based upon my own experiment that involved flicking my own switch to human and witnessing a phenomenal result in employee engagement and business performance.