Good Boss, Bad Times

In an interview with Robert Sutton, noted management and organizational specialist from Stanford University, Sutton talks about why it is so difficult to be a good boss in tough times. He calls the principle “toxic tandem”: 1) people in power often become oblivious to the needs of subordinates, and 2) subordinates pay increased attention to the boss and often assume and magnify the worst based on what they see and hear.

Bosses need to understand that employees may have ignored them in good times, but in bad times, they are under a spotlight. Sutton admits that it is much more difficult to lead an organization than it is to theorize about leading. Still, he’s convinced that there are research-based guidelines to increase management competence in bad times. He has a four-point formula for leaders: prediction, understanding, control and compassion.

Prediction concerns creating stability without overpromising by letting employees know when they are safe in troubled times (i.e., “no layoffs for the next six months”) rather than allowing a general sense of threat to effect their work every day.

Understanding involves the human need to know why things are happening. Helping people understand by giving them an explanation for what is happening can significantly reduce the fear associated with change and chaos.

Giving employees some control over the situation they are facing, in the form of options and information, has a proven impact on morale and business.

Finally, compassion is necessary—treating employees with respect and dignity—has long-term influence on employees. For employees, it’s not as much what you do as how you do it. Compassion can make a significant difference in turnover, productivity and morale.

Read the entire interview at: http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Good_boss_bad_times_2365

In These Challenging Times, Leadership Necessary ... More Than Ever

In these difficult times, we and our employees can feel powerless. And yet, if we are to move forward and provide quality services to more people with fewer resources, then effective leadership is essential.

In the article, "In These Challenging Times, Leadership Necessary ... More Than Ever," author Gary Izumo discusses several key points about leadership:

• Although widely discussed, leadership is often misunderstood. Izumo’s article provides three examples of this misunderstanding in the form of common myths about leadership.


• Leadership is everyone's job, and we all have the power to shape and influence others and how work gets done. "We don't have to be a boss to be a leader," Izumo writes.


• Five areas are noted—vision, values, culture, courage and passion—where we all can demonstrate leadership in our work.

Read the full article at http://humanservices.ucdavis.edu/News/pdf/leading_challenging.pdf