Friday, August 29, 2008

Three reasons why managers don't do people management

This morning I read this neat little posting on "Three Star Leadership Blog" entitled Three reasons why managers don't do people management. I like it because it cuts right to the essentials. Here's my favourite part:

"Since we don't select people to be bosses based on their ability to do the work that bosses do and don't give them the tools to do it, it's no wonder they find things like confronting poor behavior or performance to be very uncomfortable. And when things make us uncomfortable, we tend to avoid them."

I have attended quite a few meetings on PS Renewal, and it is quite obvious that one of the key findings that will come out of the consultations held in Departments and the regions will be that managers are ill-equipped to properly do people management. While this is true, it's only a portion of the problem. The real source of the problem is that most managers were not appointed because of their people management skills, and now dread doing the most difficult part of their job (with managing poor performers ranking high on top of the list). The lack of adequate training is not helping, but it's not the cause of poor people management.

Have a look at it!

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