Posted on 5 July 2006 under General, Management
I have a simple test that tells you a lot about the culture of any organisation. There are two questions you need answer:
- If you are talking one on one in their office do managers generally answer the phone when it rings (thereby interrupting your conversation) or do they leave it for voicemail?
- Do managers regularly choose to delay or stand-up multiple subordinates when summoned by their superordinates?
If your answers are interrrupt and stand-up then you have a management culture that believes that they are central to getting things done. This is, of course, pretty bogus, selfish and arrogant. If you have only one of interrrupt and stand-up then you have a warning sign. Hopefully, things are trending away from the arrogant management culture. Managers exist to enhance the performance of others - if they do their job then they become less necessary.