Gaining Control via Grade School Management

In order gain control over their businesses there is a behavior taking place best identified as grade school management.   Grade school management exists in business that feel the need to increase control over their business in order to improve their business in this economic period.

Grade School Management is exhibited in the following manner:

• Your boss is right (Rule #1)
• Just do your work (Rule #2)
• Pay attention to the rules, especially the new ones (always remember Rule #1)
• There is no one to help you learn or understand what you don’t quite comprehend (refer to Rule #2)
• The principal (your boss) is in his office — he does not want to see you or you to see him
• There are lots of new initiatives, ideas, slogans and incentives — except nobody is explaining them to you

These references may be cynical, exaggerated, or overstated; unfortunately, they are not too far from the truth.  While directionally true, it is highly unnecessary and avoidable.  The reason grade schools have such a structured, disciplinary organization was that, according to Freud, children at that age needed order.  Seasoned employees do not.

In times of trouble, business leaders and owners can, and do, panic.  Those that do, tend to believe that taking the reigns and holding them tight will bring the business back  in line.  Quite the contrary.

In these times, businesses need to engage in collaborative activities with their teams to discover all the ideas and opportunities for recovery and improvement.  It is the greatest display of strength, vision, and confidence to gather together with your team and solve this problem together.   Guiding your business through the crisis in this manner will provide more engagement, more ideas, and more involvement after the fact.  Sounds like a much more productive and stimulating recovery program.

Dave Cooke is CEO of Strategic Resource Group, llc an organization specializing in helping businesses increase their revenues through effective growth initiatives and employee development programs. His contributions and insights can be found on his blog posts, SalesCooke and Sustainable Revenues.  He has also developed a new program for sustainable revenues in a down economy, known as SuRF.  To download this case study go to: SurfWhitePaper.com.