8. Synergy in Management

As organizations are founded, structured, and organized, one thing will not change any time soon: Organizations will have managers to oversee the operation. These resources overseeing the operations can be at various levels, from the owners or officers to mid- and lower-level management. One source of stress and potential problem within an organization can be the relationships between managers and/or upper management. If an organization was divided into departments that could all work independently of each other, this would not be as big a problem, but departments within organizations will have managers who have to work together or be connected in some way and relationships will be formed. As managers, you know that there are other managers in the organization you get along with very well, whereas there are other managers with whom you have more of a challenging working relationship. Relationships would not be as big a problem if you did not conduct much business with that person. If you have to conduct business with a person on a regular basis and the relationship is strained, the business might not be as efficient or as effective as it could be.

As a leadership figure in the organization, managers have to understand that they are a visible icon of some level of management and will be viewed, primarily by those working around them, as an example of not only management but leadership. The example of the typical level-headed manager is the goal, but this is easier said than done because there are many things that can influence a manager in the course of a day. There are responsibility-related influences and relationship-related influences. Managers will be constantly evaluating these as they manage in three directions:

1. Manage you—your own time and activities—As both an employee and a manager, you find that there will be certain responsibilities that need to be scheduled and managed to best utilize your time during the work day. This can pose a stress because both organizational and outside commitments and relationships can require time and force the manager to choose, which can cause unwanted behaviors. This also goes into the area of managing stress because this can be an influence that can play a large role in how behaviors play out.

2. Manage below—things you have responsibility for—For managers there are responsibilities as a function of the job, such as managing processes as well as human resources, departmental schedules, and commitments, that can generate stress. Managers have to respond to problems in the work flow of processes, but it seems that dealing with human resource problems or relationships can be more difficult and can cause certain behaviors.

3. Manage above—management above you—Managers typically do not think they are managing staff above them in the course of their work, but this is the case and is okay! Members of upper management want to be updated on the status of work flow and personnel issues but generally want only the higher-level information and not the details. Knowing what they want is a way of managing them as you are proactive in how you approach, discuss, and report the status of the department. Not understanding upper management is typically a source of stress for managers and can be a cause of certain behaviors, especially in management meetings.

Part of team skills training is the strength in the diversity of a team. There needs to be a mutual respect for various backgrounds, experience, views, and opinions that fosters open-minded thinking and variety in thought processes.

This is one way organizations do well in developing great game plans, and they seem to have cutting-edge type approaches as they allow the personalities to work freely together and not fight.

Although this can make sense in theory, it is difficult in practice because all the managers have to participate in this type of thinking and understanding in their relationships with each other. This is when organizations start to mature, progress happens, and power in completion is realized, because things are not only getting done, but getting done really well!

This, for the most part, starts as a top-down philosophy in which the senior and executive management discuss the strategic business plan of the organization and come to an agreement about how it will be implemented. They then need to effectively communicate that plan to midlevel management so that managers can see that upper management is in agreement about a direction the businesses is going and have a clear understanding of their objective within their particular department. When executive management agrees on an objective, there is synergy between those managers that can be seen and felt by the rest of the organization, which gives credibility not only to the decision they made but the managing group itself in their ability to run the organization.

Executive management can then communicate an objective to midlevel management to carry out in the department, and it will be believable and more accepted by midlevel managers.

It’s not so much the decision that was made, but the fact that there was synergy among the management in that decision that drives the rest of the organization to believe in an objective.

This synergy comes at a price, because in management meetings and in discussing an objective, there is not always agreement at the onset. This is when the organization’s management show their true colors and maturity in being able to conduct meetings and come to an agreement that allows the organization to move forward. This is what helps not only the managers but also the organization actually complete tasks and see objectives through to completion, giving the organization true power through this completion process.

Within most organizations it’s common that many people will know how management feels about any given objective or direction based on the behaviors and attitudes of the managers. If managers at either the midlevel or the executive level are not in agreement about the direction of the department or organization, this can be seen by others who work with those management staff. This can create an atmosphere of distrust in management, with others questioning their ability or process as a team to come to an agreeable conclusion. This is where managers might disagree, due to personality conflicts or strong feelings, about whether a direction is the best course of action.

There might be cases in which a manager is lobbying for his own agenda that would result in some form of reward, gain, or notoriety for him. This should be unacceptable behavior by managers because this potentially divides the management staff and does not allow the organization to run smoothly and effectively. This can even create tension and trouble between managers, resulting in arguments that are not constructive that would normally bring out the positive and negative sides of everyone’s view. In most cases managerial meetings are best and most effective when all managers participating are able to share their views and all ideas, and when brainstorming efforts can be put out on the table for discussion.

The mature management team has the ability to move through a selection and elimination process that allows them to collectively narrow down ideas to a single element that everyone can agree on. One problem that management staff can have arises when certain managers are unable to let go of their idea, unable to compromise, unable to see the benefit of others’ ideas, and they choose to hold onto their own idea as the only way. They are thus dividing the group and not allowing for synergy. This is when management teams become weak and begin to break down the organization’s strengths in being able to effectively manage. So what tools are available to help promote synergy within a peer management group and between management levels?

• What

• Who

• How

• When

All of this information exists within the organization for a reason, but people need only the information required for their level of responsibility. Everyone in the organization will need information of some kind, and managers are responsible for determining what information various people will get and why. It is also important for information to be accurate, legible, and in a form that can be easily understood by the recipient. Information has to be clear to be used correctly!

With regard to synergy within management, in many cases managers receive enough information via e-mail to be able to review and satisfy their need for understanding the status of that particular situation, whereas had they attended a meeting, they would have received too much information and been involved in discussions and possibly arguments based solely on the type of communication they received.

Having too many meetings does not allow for enough information to be accumulated to justify a meeting, whereas having too infrequent meetings allows too much time to pass between updates. The amount of time elapsed between meetings is important because if too much time goes by, critical information is not communicated quickly and decisions that have to be made might run the risk of being too late.

Communication is important at all levels of management in the organization. Understanding the four primary communication elements within an organization—what information has to be communicated, to whom, how it will be communicated, and how often—is vital. Addressing the relationships that managers have among themselves and at various levels will help to improve the overall synergy within management. Because project managers have a complex communication responsibility, they must effectively manage the four elements of communication, organized in a tool called a Communications Matrix, shown in Table 8.1.

Table 8.1. Communication Matrix

This tool categorizes the what, who, how, and when for good communications and allows the manager to better organize communication within his department.

Managers need to know that correct information is being communicated and channels have been established that will optimize the quality and efficiency of communication. Managers also need to know what will be expected of them in the short term so that they can begin to plan within their department as to how they will organize their resources for upcoming objectives. Executive managers need to ensure that the strategic objectives of the organization are being carried out and that they have the right resources in place to meet those goals. Midlevel managers need to understand what they can do to help executive management in meeting those strategic objectives within their department.

If you really want a management position and are just not sure, this usually stems from a lack of knowledge and confidence. This is normal, and with training, time, and experience you will get better.

If you look at other midlevel managers or peer management as being working professionals who are all there for the common goal of making the organization successful, this can begin to form a synergy among management. If you understand that the members of executive management overseeing midlevel management are successful people and are in place for the common goal of making a successful organization, this will foster a synergy among the levels of management staff. This synergy really is the driving force behind how managers behave—how they respond and react to each other. How things as simple as meetings are carried out and conducted will speak to the general professionalism and maturity of the management staff.

It is the desire to be successful that starts within a new manager that drives success in what you do.

• It is vitally important that midlevel management see the synergy of executive management producing a cohesive decision. This encourages a synergy among the midlevel management that is seen by the working staff, giving credibility to the decisions being made by management and within the department.

• This power can be realized as management becomes more mature and understands what effect they have on the rest of the organization, not only in their behavior and attitude, but also in how they appear to the rest of the organization in being able to manage decisions.

• It is important for an effective evaluation to be made as to who is getting what type of information.

• Knowing the recipient’s preferred form of information delivery can be vital in improving and optimizing communication of information.

• Meeting attendance is a balance that project managers have to deal with and managers have to contend with as well. As we have seen, there are critical updates and information that need to be communicated, but to the right people and at an effective frequency rate.

• Having tools like the Communications Matrix helps organize the what, who, how, and when elements we have looked at.

• It’s also vital for managers to understand a primary concept within managing: To help in being a successful manager, you should surround yourself with successful people, understand the managerial responsibility, and develop leadership attributes.

• If you are not convinced that you are a success, it will be difficult for you to be successful. Developing tools, developing managerial skills, and looking at the organization through successful eyes is how successful managers become successful and are sustainable as successful managers.