Nobody Wants to be Managed

Nobody wants to be ‘managed’.

Think about it. It’s demeaning.

‘Management’ relies upon us accepting we need managing - even though if we were directly given the option: ‘Do you need managing?’ I’m guessing most would say ‘No’.

That's why most organisations do people poorly.

The woman who wakes at 5.30 to do yoga before preparing her children’s breakfasts and finalising the costume for book week and proofreading her assignment for her part-time Masters then dropping her children at school.

Steps into her workplace and suddenly needs Managing.

The man who is the treasurer of his local church council, coaches and umpires sport during the week and on the weekend, buried one parent and cares for the other, and renovated two homes in his spare time and backpacked through Europe for a year at 19.

Steps into his workplace and must ask permission to leave early and has his name checked off a list of attendees at the monthly staff meeting.

It’s just as bad for the Managers.

‘Managing’ people is the workplace equivalent of the residential parent in a split family. Telling grown ups to eat your vegies. Do your homework. Tidy your room. Brush your teeth and go to bed.

Which is why most organisations outsource tough management decisions to a special department or departments so the boss can be the every-second-weekend parent. The one who takes his staff to the movies and then McDonald's and then the circus - then hands them over to that other department to wave its finger at them and smack them when they're really naughty.

Most call it Human Resources. Think about that title too for a minute because words matter.

What should we call the person directing and assessing our work with the power to hire and fire?

Perhaps ‘Harriet’, or ‘Jill’, or ‘Mike’, or ‘Tom.’

Or ‘boss’.