If it's Lonely at the Top,
Should I bring a Book?
By Richard J. Doscher
We’ve all heard the phrase, “It’s lonely at the top.” Don’t you wish there was a special book of instruction which would be handed to you when you take over the reins of your business; a book that outlined all the pitfalls to avoid and the magic actions to take in order to guarantee success and a peaceful night’s sleep? Well, regardless of what you gleaned from one of those eight-hour super lectures like, “Exercise Your Rights as a Manager,” no one has all the answers. What we can do as key leaders in an organization is to learn from each other and evaluate suggestions to see how they may improve our own workplace. Here are a few suggestions:
Encourage honest mistakes: This may sound odd; however, as human beings, we all make mistakes so why not acknowledge them? If you send signals to your staff that mistakes are unacceptable, one thing is sure to happen…you will see a drop in mistakes; not because everyone is working at the peak of their effectiveness and efficiency, but because they are hiding the mistakes from you! Your “line in the sand” attitude concerning errors may eventually end in high dollar costs to correct neglected mistakes, which, had they been brought forth sooner, could have saved you a significant amount of money.
Be open and willing to actively listen to people and help when required: If you demand perfection from your key managers, don’t expect them to approach you for help with a difficult task. If you act as though work that ends up on your desk should meet the standards of a submission to a Stanford Doctoral Program, your staff members might feel like failures, unable to meet your inflated standards of unattainable excellence.
Be open, listen and provide guidance when needed. When done properly, you may notice that all those crisis decisions you had to make at the last minute on projects have become consultations with your team at an earlier stage in the process. You also might notice a drop in insomnia medication prescription costs!
“Don’t I have the right to have a bad day once in a while?” Sure you do! Just NOT at work. As a leader or key manager within an organization, your support staff looks to you for stability, leadership and a calming influence in their day. If you come to work angry, don’t be surprised if the day’s topic of conversation (which you won’t hear first-hand) goes something like this: “Have you seen the boss today? Something must be wrong. Wonder what put her in a lousy mood? Better stay out of her way.” Believe me when I say that if you come to work with a chip on your shoulder, it will have a negative effect on the entire office. Leave your bad mood at the door. Office staff counts on a boss with a consistent, positive disposition, no matter what has happened in his/her personal life.
Now that we can begin to practice some of those suggestions, what can go wrong? Ever heard of the “Toxic 10 or 20%?” With all due respect to Star War fans, numerous management studies have shown that, at any given time, 10-20% of the workforce is creating a disruption in “The Force”. While the names of the players may change, the numbers remain constant. Human beings are skeptical of, and some are downright opposed to, change. Who’s responsible for these annoying changes? You and the rest of the management staff are responsible for the majority of change within the organization. Be sure to keep the lines of communication open. Employees are more accepting of workplace modifications if they are kept in the loop.
You might ask, “Will that create a better percentage for me?” Come on…this is the real world! Not everyone wants to have the boss over for Christmas dinner! (Caveat: Think twice about eating the refreshments offered to you at the office Christmas party, from the guy you had to reprimand in November!)
Well, there you go; a few honest suggestions from a friend. Try them out. You might find them helpful and your flex medical plan can take a breather!
