Struggling with a Talented but Difficult Manager: How Can We Improve Team Dynamics?

I am working with a small start-up organization in the education sector. We have a manager who is really hardworking, efficient, and knowledgeable, but at the same time, he is not a good leader. His team members are not really happy working with him because he is too fussy, rigid, and doesn't get along with others easily. We keep receiving many complaints against him, which we also agree with. We have tried talking to him and making him realize his weaknesses, but he is not ready to accept them.

As an HR person, I have tried interacting with them, organizing small events where they get a chance to interact with each other, and have also done R & R for them to motivate and show interest, but I can't see any improvement. This is the peak season, and we do not want to lose the manager, as he is handling a lot of work for us. I request if somebody can help with some solution.

Regards,
Arshpreet

It seems that the time has come to invite the manager to a job appraisal. At the appraisal, you should congratulate him on his hard work, efficiency, and knowledge before turning to his leadership qualities. It could be that he does not know what is expected of him, so you should be questioning him about his leadership decisions—why and how he reaches them. It might just be a simple case of mentoring. Hard-working staff often need a pat on their backs, and a simple "Thank You" goes a long way.

Do not tell him that you don't want to lose him, for that sends a message that perhaps someone higher up wants to get rid of him. Instead, tell him that an all-round manager with leadership skills has a better chance of promotion within the company, particularly when the company is a startup.

I hope the above helps and gives you something to think about.

Regards,
Harsh

Understanding the 'Worker Bee' and 'Queen Bee' Dynamics

He seems to have 'worker bee' qualities (hard-working all alone) but not 'queen bee' qualities, which means delegating work to others and monitoring their work. To me, it appears to be a personality issue. Some may want to build importance around themselves by working hard but all alone and keeping all information to themselves, probably believing that it ensures their economic security and possibly feeling that parting with work, information, and knowledge with others makes them dispensable to management.

His overt behavior of being fussy and complaining about work done by others may be to show that they are not good at their job. You need to diagnose the cause for such behavior by spending some time with him and then decide what kind of initiative, whether mentoring as Harsh suggested, or any orientation training or counseling by the senior leaders, will address the issue. There is no point shooting in the dark without knowing the target.

Regards,
B. Saikumar

Sure, we can help.

1. Analyze the work/time distribution.
2. Find a slot of about 45 minutes per day for progressive migration to a leader.
3. Plan progressive training, workshops, or counseling sessions.
4. Include some audio-visual materials or movies relevant to the situation.
5. Offer incentives for migration.
6. Allow for self-planning with action plan reviews.
7. Seek the full support of top management.
8. Have group discussions with peers for improvement.
9. Have an internal or external evaluation team.
10. Celebrate the success.

First of all, we should consider the issue that a manager is a person who directs the activities of others. Without followers, there is no manager and no output. So, regarding the quality of a manager, he knows that the company needs him, and he also knows that his behavior is not ethically fine with others. However, the root of the issue is his behavior, and if your company can help him to meet and consult with a psychologist, it will be okay at this stage.

Hence, as an HR practitioner, you should be fair to other colleagues as well and follow up on this case seriously.

I see that there are contrasts. When you say the manager is hardworking, efficient, and knowledgeable, but at the same time he is not a good leader, his team members are not really happy working with him because he is too fussy, rigid, and doesn't get along with others easily. We keep on getting many complaints against him, which we also agree with. We had tried talking to him and making him realize his weaknesses, but he is not ready to accept them.

Taking that data, I interpret it as:

Not a Lazy Job/Responsibility Shirker
He probably does more than what he is expected to and expects the same from others on his team.

Not a Buck-Passer Either
He may do the bare minimum, delegate, and try to shift responsibilities to others, sometimes to give himself an easier life, and sometimes due to intolerance of deficiencies in their abilities.

Not a Pessimist and a Negative Type Either
If one is consistently negative or pessimistic about things at work and doesn't try to look at the positive side, such people will be able to justify every thought pattern they hold.

Could be the Competitive Type
He finds his team isn't moving at the pace and level he wants them to. Someone who feels he has to constantly prove himself, take credit for things, and generally compete in one-upmanship. That's just the way most competitive people are, I'm afraid, the ones who always want to win. I see that such people could lack the self-confidence to face reality for what it really is and have to cover up their own deficiencies by raising their self-esteem through hot air.

Firstly, the role of a manager and that of a leader is different.

In his 1989 book "On Becoming a Leader," Warren Bennis composed a list of the differences:

- The manager administers; the leader innovates.
- The manager is a copy; the leader is an original.
- The manager maintains; the leader develops.
- The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people.
- The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust.
- The manager has a short-range view; the leader has a long-range perspective.
- The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.
- The manager has his or her eye always on the bottom line; the leader's eye is on the horizon.
- The manager imitates; the leader originates.
- The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it.
- The manager is the classic good soldier; the leader is his or her own person.
- The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing.

Bennis concludes, "I believe that there are very distinct differences between the role of a manager and the role of a leader. But the roles should not be in conflict with each other. Sustainable, high-performance organizations recognize that there is a symbiotic relationship between managers and leaders and they ensure that both are being utilized effectively. I believe that we manage things (processes, procedures, and outcomes) and we lead people (employees, customers, and others)."

Going by this, the issue you could be having with your manager could be aspects of Age (the age/experience between the manager and the team; if it is too wide, then there is one problem - Generation Gap perhaps, and when there isn't much, there is another type of problem - "Oh, he isn't more experienced than us, so why should we go with him" sorts).

Qualification - premier/specialized vs. non-premier/non-specialized.

Cultural Background (early education, language, Hindi vs. Non-Hindi, etc.).

Work Ethics (values, discipline, etc.) and lastly, the most critical aspect is EGO (this can run into volumes if one has to explain this).

I can empathize with the manager in this case as I've had and still have issues when working with people. This isn't a mindset, but a fact. Maturity has taught me over the years to adjust and adapt. The levels of thinking, thinking out-of-the-box, creativity, innovation, problem-solving, not throwing up more problems but offering a variety of solutions when tackling issues, are all factors.

My suggestions would be to get all of them, the manager and the team members together, and give them a common goal for the organization to achieve. Let them have a brainstorming session and perform a SWOT Analysis. After that, they can draw out a plan to execute the task with responsibilities clearly marked.

Encourage them to be constructive, not just positive. Discuss responsibilities for the changes that would have to be made. Concentrate on what can be done, instead of reasons why they can't. Ask them to come up with solutions; this way, they have to be looking forward instead of viewing things through dark-colored glasses.

Resist the temptation to indulge in competing with each other; instead, emphasize the need for teamwork and stress common goals that all should be working towards. That way, they may start thinking about how to collaborate instead of compete.

Last but not least, if I may state the truth, your talking to the manager if you are all in the same age/experience group may not yield the result. You might need someone with more experience and wisdom to deal with this. It need not be from an external source, as they can't really help the cause so much.

Regards

Approaching the Owner in a Start-Up

Are you in a small start-up? Then the answer is very simple. Start-ups are promoter-driven. You need to go to the owner/promoter and explain the problem to him. The owner, if you have convinced him, will call the manager (most probably not in your presence) and explain to him what his problem is and how the promoters want him to change. Alternatively, they may decide he is the type of person they want, and the rest of the team are lazy laggards, and hire more managers like him. Either way, there is little you can do beyond this.

Allowing the promoters to take this step conveys the seriousness of the matter. Also, the manager will not feel insulted or hurt because it's the owners who are telling him what he needs to do. Be warned, he will probably complain about you too. 