My first two issues of "Harvard Business Review" showed up Tuesday. There was no time to review them until my flight to Washington, D.C. late Wednesday afternoon. The experience of reading the first issue, November 2003 is, admittedly, different than expected.

Harvard has always seemed a bit self absorbed. At least that's been my impression. That impression is changing. The first article that drew my attention was "The Five Minds of a Manager". An insert towards the back of the article lists the traits of engaging managers. These are:

Engaging Management
(based on collaboration)

Managers are important to the extent that they help other people do the important work of developing products and delivering services.

An organization is an interacting network, not a vertical hierarchy. Effective leaders work throughout; they do not sit on top.

Out of the network emerges strategies, as engaged people solve little problems that grow into big initiatives.

Implementation is the problem because it cannot be separated from formulation. That is why committed insiders are necessary to come up with the key changes.

To manage is to bring out the positive energy that exists naturally within people. Managing thus means inspiring and engaging, based on judgment that is rooted in context.

Rewards for making the organization a better place go to everyone. Human values, many of which cannot be measured, matter.

Leadership is a sacred trust earned through the respect of others.

These are good ideals. The alternative to engaging management is heroic management. Not my preference.

So, how do we ingrain the culture of engaging management into UEN? That's for us to learn. I know one thing. I'm going to post these ideas. Then I'm going to think about them, talk about them and find ways to work through the organization.

One interesting metaphor used in this article involves networks. If you think of yourself as a manager that is above the organization it means that you are not a part of the network. Being outside of the network flow would put any of us at an extreme disadvantage...........
5:11:05 AM    comment []