Jdmbagirl's Blog

The Seagull Manager….

When I was in public service a funny email came around with Office Terms for the year. Things like “adminisphere” which is the ethereal place somewhere above you that ideas and dictates float down from which have little to do with the reality you are in; and gems which are now part of everyday speak like “cubicle farm” or “prarie dogging” (what happens when a large noise or event makes a bunch of little heads pop up over cubicle farms walls).  Well, I once had a “seagull manager”.  He would swoop in, crap all over everything, make a lot of noise and then leave.

Through this course I have been thinking back to all of the managers I have had in my life and Seagull was probably the worst because he did the most active, “micromanaging.”  His philosophic position seemed to be that he knew the most about the department and he knew best for all of us.  What he missed is that he was fresh from school, and recently trained by a member of the department and that the next most junior person doing the job and specifically in this department had 3 years experience on him. Much but better than his months.  He cared deeply for us and our work which was obvious and he tried hard to implement his non-Kelley MBA techniques of gathering data for change, using group meetings to foster buy-in yet still providing clear direction.  He just wouldn’t let go. He would not trust us to do the job he put before us. He would follow-up incessantly when deadlines weren’t an issue. He would tell you to plan and implement a task or directive but spend 20 mins telling you all of his ideas – obviously because he would prefer to do it himself but wanted to managerially delegate.

Again, he loved his work, his clients and us; he was just way too green, hyper and fearful of letting go.  That mistrust made me resent him as a manger and resist his changes and work.  Many people saw him as too young, too eager and too out of touch because of his efforts.  It was unfortunate because he could have been very good and very effective it he had just learned to manage and not direct.

Hello world!

My goals for J506 are to explore the models of leadership and understand how leadership, teaching, power, authority and accomplishment of goals as a group work together. Notions of how to lead people changes with society’s expectations of strength, personal power and notions of respect and personal needs. This should be interesting to explore.