Yitzhak Adizes is one of the world's leading specialists in improving the efficiency of companies; developer of the popular management methodology that bears his name; author of many business bestsellers ("The Ideal Leader", "Development of Leaders", "Management Styles - Effective and Ineffective", etc.). “How to overcome management crises” is one of the key works of Yitzhak Adizes, which is consistently included in many ratings of the best business books. With the permission of SmartReading, we publish a summary ("compressed" version) of this publication.
smartreading is a project of the co-founder of one of the leading Russian publishing houses of business literature "Mann, Ivanov and Ferber" Mikhail Ivanov and his partners. SmartReading produces so-called summaries - texts that summarize the key ideas of bestsellers in the non-fiction genre. Thus, people who, for some reason, cannot quickly read the full versions of books, can get acquainted with their main ideas and theses. SmartReading uses a subscription business model in its work
Introduction
Yitzhak Adizes believes that there are no ideal managers who can perform all managerial functions equally well. Thus, for the successful functioning and development of the organization, a complementary team of managers is needed, combining the functions of the Producer (P), Administrator (A), Entrepreneur (E) and Integrator (I).
Using the Adizes system, you can calculate the code of each manager individually, display the total code of the entire team, determine the leadership style and establish more effective communications. Based on which of the key roles has not been worked out, we can conclude that there are managerial errors.
1. Management styles
Determining the relationship between the roles of Producer (P), Administrator (A), Entrepreneur (E), and Integrator (I) is important for diagnosing management effectiveness. First, such an analysis can be used in the process of finding and appointing people to leadership positions, taking into account the optimal combination of complementary management styles needed to manage the organization. Second, the style model can be used as a predictive tool. Once a manager's style of behavior is determined, it becomes possible to predict the behavior of the person as a whole.
Adizes distinguishes the following styles of mismanagement: pure Result Producer ("Lone Ranger", P000), pure Administrator ("Bureaucrat", 0A00), pure Entrepreneur ("Pyro", 00E0), pure Integrator ("Superfollower", 000I) and 0 -manager ("Dead Stump", 0000). The manager is inefficient if there are zeros in its code.
1.1. "The lone ranger"
This is a person who sells, develops, manages a production system, or does research effectively. He is focused on effective actions, knows the technology of his field well, is constantly busy with something, believing that it is better to do everything yourself than to explain to others. According to The Lone Ranger, time should be spent dealing with the organization's most pressing problems. He does not think about long-term planning, new directions and what will happen to the company in ten years.. He is a workaholic, and if there is no work, such a person becomes nervous.
1.2. "Bureaucrat"
This type of leader pays considerable attention to detail. It is well organized, and its task is to see whether the work started is completed and whether the decisions made earlier are being implemented. Good administration involves pattern, routine, and systematization. If the Producer (P) provides efficiency, then the Administrator (A) provides efficiency. The bureaucrat is focused on how the work is done, not on what exactly is being done and why..
The bureaucrat and his employees come and go from work exactly on time. The Bureaucrat always has an organizational chart hanging on the wall, and if necessary, he instantly finds any document or description of a procedure. The bureaucrat hates uncertainty and change. He insists that all communications be in writing and that all areas of responsibility be clearly delineated. He is extremely loyal to the organization he works for and only changes jobs when absolutely necessary.
1.3. "Pyro"
To survive in a changing environment, organizations need ideas. The entrepreneur analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the organization and, in accordance with them, determines the course of action that will best meet the changes taking place in the external environment. For subordinates of such a manager, Monday morning is the most difficult time. Over the weekend, he has new ideas, and on Monday he changes priorities.
He distributes new tasks (forgetting those that are already in progress) and expects subordinates to immediately begin to fulfill them. He loves the hustle and bustle, he likes when employees rush around the office, trying to cope with the crisis, which he himself created. Very often, the Pyro comes up with great ideas and waits for others to find a way to implement them. If he is asked too many detailed questions, he becomes irritated.
1.4. "Super Follower"
An integrator is a manager who is attentive to people and strives to make the system of work in the company comfortable. He is able to listen to others and integrate their ideas, developing solutions that will be supported by those who will implement them.
Integration turns individual entrepreneurship into a collective one. If the Superfollower has free time, he spends it socializing, listening to complaints and trying to convince the dissatisfied that reality is not as bad as it seems. However, he is not able to cope with situations where it is required to take a clear position. because it's too soft for that.
If there is a power struggle between members of the organization, the Super Follower will try to determine which side has the best chance of winning and will act as if it has always been its leader. He will never support an ambiguous alternative, especially if it involves disagreeing with the majority.
1.5. "Dead Stump"
Dead stump is apathetic. He's waiting for someone to tell him what to do. He does not create, does not administer, does not stimulate breakthroughs, does not interfere in intrigues for the sake of influence. If he has interesting ideas, he prefers to keep them secret.
The dead stump is concerned, first of all, with how to live until retirement. His goal is to keep his little world intact. He spends his free time looking for achievements that can be appropriated. Change is a serious threat to such a manager, a dead stump prefers to hire not very bright employees and sometimes even promotes those who will definitely achieve even less than himself.
Thus, more and more of the same dead stumps gather around it. Subordinates who want to grow and develop are completely at a loss and are forced to quit.
One 0-manager can provoke the process of the collapse of the organization.
2. Good manager
Each of the four managerial roles is necessary but not sufficient to provide an adequate managerial style; the manager must be successful in one or more of the main roles, but other functions must also be present in the code.
The producer manager must be Paei and not P000, the administrative manager must be pAei and not 0A00, and so on. A style that could be described as 0A00 is dysfunctional because other roles are missing. In the table below, we can see all the functional management styles and the wrong styles that oppose them. All of them are described within the PAEI coding. The difference between the two types is that the wrong manager is not able to perform some roles, while the competent manager owns all the standard roles at the minimum required level.
P000 = Lone Ranger but Paei = Manufacturer
0A00 = Bureaucrat but pAei = Administrator
00E0 = Pyro, but paEi = Entrepreneur
000I = Superfollower but paeI = Integrator
0000 = Dead Stump but PAEI = "Book Manager"
PA00 = Slave owner, but PAei = Governor
PA0I = Benevolent Ruler, but PAeI = Shepherd
0A0I = Bureaucrat Patriarch but pAeI = Heart Administrator
P00I = Untalented Trainer, but PaeI = Guide
P0E0 = Founder, but PaEi = Founder
PAE0 = Developer, but PAEi = Solo Developer
00EI = Demagogue, but paEI = Teacher
0AEI = False Leader, but pAEI = Zealous Beginner
0AE0 = Fed up, but pAEi = Devil's Advocate
P0EI = Charismatic guru, but PaEI = Statesman
2.1. Characteristics of a good manager
He can fill all four managerial roles, although he is not equally strong in all. In other words, there are no zeros in his PAEI code.
He knows his own strengths and weaknesses.
He maintains contact with others. He listens to criticism of his work in order to better understand himself. He understands that he is what he does.
He has a balanced view of himself. He realizes his strengths and weaknesses and does not try to be someone else.
He can appreciate the excellent work of others, even in roles he is not very good at.
He accepts the opinion of others if it is more competent than his own.
He knows how to resolve the conflicts that inevitably arise when people with different needs and styles find themselves on the same management team in order to provide the necessary set of professional qualities.
It creates an environment conducive to learning.
2.2. Education and development
The transformation of management into a profession has led to an increase in the popularity of educational programs in the field of management. Business schools are trying to equip newcomers with the knowledge and skills necessary for successful management and help experienced leaders achieve greater excellence. Educational efforts are often wasted, especially when an attempt is made to create a leader who is equally successful in all the functions and roles that are considered to be the components of "good management".
Education that aims to create such a generalist is meaningless, since the "reference book manager" is an abstraction that has nothing to do with a real person.
In the practice of teaching different roles according to the PAEI system, completely different attention is paid. The most common is the Producer (P) and Administrator (A) training. It is impossible to acquire in the process of learning the qualities necessary for the Entrepreneur (E) and Integrator (I) - the most important roles in the upper echelon of management - it is impossible. These skills can only be developed through experience.
Every person has all the qualities necessary for successful management., although some of these qualities may be in an inactive state due to the fact that they are not in demand in practice. The manifestation of the ability to unite people in an ordinary worker may even be perceived as a threat to the company, the emergence of informal leadership or an attempt to form a union. At a slightly higher level, an employee is required to have qualities corresponding to function A. However, until the employee reaches the level of vice president, neither E nor I are expected from him.
At the senior management level, the employee is immediately required to be creative and bring people together. It can be very difficult for a person who has gone through the entire job ladder from top to bottom to find in himself the emotional resources necessary to fulfill these new functions, especially if his creative impulses have been suppressed for 20 years.
Our educational system creates similar problems. For many years we treat children as dependent people, and then we expect that, having ceased to be students, they will immediately become full-fledged adults and be able to cope with a reality for which they were not prepared. As a result, most people, ceasing to depend on family and parents, become dependent on the employer and never become truly free and responsible.
A good manager is not necessarily a graduate of the best business school. In addition, if too much time is spent on formal education, it can negatively affect managerial abilities.
There is an old anecdote about an MBA graduate from one of the best business schools who became the president of a small firm. On the first day, he was shown the production and the office, and then introduced to his subordinates. When he got to his desk, he banged his fist on it and enthusiastically asked the deputy: “When will we start working? What is our case today?
2.3. Management mix
For an effective and efficient management process, all four roles (PAEI) must be fulfilled. Each of them is necessary, but in itself is not sufficient to ensure adequate management. However, as we found out earlier, no one person can fulfill all the roles at the required high professional level.
Failure to perform one of the roles inevitably entails certain anomalies in management, so it is necessary to create a management team of people whose work styles would complement each other. It should include well-educated people with different orientations and personal needs, but able to work together and compensate for each other's shortcomings.
When we analyze the history of any successful organization, we will see that it was the management team that made it possible to achieve the company's goals.
Everyone used to think that the success of the Ford Motor Company is the merit of one person. However, from 1907 to the early 1920s, during the period of the most intensive growth, the company was run by a management team, and James Cousins made decisions on important issues on a par with Henry Ford. Cousins' departure significantly weakened the company's competitiveness.
3. Life cycle of the organization
3.1. Stages of development of the organization
People, products, markets and even entire societies have a life cycle. They are born, grow, mature, grow old and die. At each stage of life, they have a typical pattern of behavior, or style. The behavior of organizations can also be described using the PAEI code.
On the stage courtship the organization does not yet exist. The founders just dream of what they could do. However, one idea is not enough to create an organization: a sincere commitment to this idea is needed, comparable to the difficulty of creating a company.
On the stage infancy a heated discussion of ideas ends, a staff appears, a room is rented. The Entrepreneurial role of E is replaced by the role of Producer (P), dreams fade into the background, and it becomes important what can actually be done.
At the stage rapid development Also referred to as the go-go stage, almost every new opportunity seems to be a priority, employees often work in multiple roles, and marketing is equated with sales.
With the onset of the stage youth the importance of the administrative role of A increases, more attention is paid to planning and coordination, meetings, trainings are held, procedures are developed.
Mature organization (stage heyday) knows his goals for the current year and is result-oriented (P). In such an organization, sales and revenue figures are stable and predictable.
Entering the stage stability, the organization becomes less rigid, but it is still results-oriented and well organized. There are fewer conflicts between colleagues. Creativity and speed in decision-making give way to conservatism and orderliness.
On the stage aristocracy the role of P (orientation towards achievement and creation) begins to fade and signs of stagnation are felt: business is going “as usual”. The most creative employees either have to leave or lose motivation.
If a stable aristocratic company completely loses entrepreneurial activity (E), and the function P becomes barely noticeable, the company turns into bankrupt aristocracy. At this stage, the products manufactured by the company become obsolete, but no one does anything.
If the entrepreneurial and productive roles remain in decline for a long time, the moment of reckoning comes: despite the rise in prices, income declines, and turnover and sales fall. The main distinguishing feature of the stage "witch hunt" managerial paranoia: every year or quarter, someone responsible for the company's problems is found and fired.
Under the conditions of mature bureaucracy nothing happens in the company. The typical answer to any question is: "Wait" or "You will be informed." Company managers always agree with everything, no one is interested in the result and does not want to change, there is no team work, only a lot of procedures, instructions and rules. Bureaucratic organizations continue to exist only because they have a monopoly on certain areas.
The brightest sign death (bankruptcy) organizations - the agony of defeat. Those who had the strength to leave the organization did so long ago. Only those who have no choice remain: beginners or those who do not represent professional value. They reminisce about the "good old days" and blame the government, competitors, and other external forces for everything.
3.2. Organizational Therapy
Difficulties can arise at every stage of an organization's development. Simply increasing the number of well-prepared managers who are up to the task and who work well in a team will not give the desired result.
The organizational climate, that is, the style corresponding to the stage of the organization's life cycle, must match the style of the management team.
The purpose of organizational change is to accelerate the process of improving the management system or reverse the "aging" of the organization. The most radical method - "organ transplantation" - is essentially not therapeutic, but surgical: all top management is fired and a new management team is hired.
Often, external consultants are invited to develop a new organizational structure. All their planning, firing and hiring activities are kept secret. When their ideas finally come to fruition, it comes as a shock to employees, and as a result, they develop a strong aversion to the very word "change." They react painfully whenever someone tries to communicate that something is wrong in the company. In order to avoid serious problems, Yitzhak Adizes calls for a switch from organizational surgery to organizational therapy.
Therapeutic methods are selected depending on the stage in which the company is.
Working with an organization in its infancy (Paei)
In a newborn organization there is no system, so it often finds itself in difficult situations. The consultant-"therapist" must, first, help to realize the reality; secondly, to help develop a realistic vision of the future and long-term goals, instead of constantly prompting what needs to be done. Organizational consultant "therapists" help young companies learn to predict, analyze and plan, and also warn against excessive spending (fancy office, expensive equipment and software) that leads to the loss of the main advantages of a young organization - flexibility and adaptability.
The head of a new company has to work harder and get paid less than he would be paid as an employee elsewhere, but the bonuses are independence and pride in building his own business. If it is possible to involve another manager in management, he should be first of all strong in E, the next most important function will be A, then I.
Working with an organization at the go-go stage (PaEi)
The company needs to strengthen the function of Administration A (organization and stabilization). Once management has established a direction and strategy for development, the consultant-"therapist" should help to systematize the activities of the organization. The purpose of such therapy is to become aware of what not to do. The first task that the consultant-"therapist" should offer to such a company is to list all the projects that are in progress: those that have just begun, those that are close to completion, and those that are just being discussed. Managers must then estimate the resources and time required for each project. It often turns out that a company is trying to do in one year the work that takes a lifetime.
The task of the consultant-“therapist” is to teach how to prioritize. The sooner this happens, the faster the company will grow. In the later stages, it's a good idea to invite a pAeI into a booming organization. Managers like pAeI and PaEi working together form a tandem, like a couple in a family business. The one who gets the role of pAeI provides order and stability by controlling the overall direction of activities.
Working with an organization in adolescence (pAEi)
A maturing organization strives for stability, tries to get rid of superficial projects and confusion, and avoids costly and useless investments. The company seeks to establish internal norms, standards, systems. At the same time, she wants to keep her freedom and try new methods. In such an organization, the "therapist" consultant finds himself between two fires. If he helps to achieve consistency and stability, one part of the team will not agree with him, if he is not involved in systematization, his activities will be incomprehensible to other employees. The consultant will need incredible patience in order to balance between flexibility and systematization, quickly changing direction and tasks.
The consultant should help the organization focus first on the desired results and then on the process of achieving them. As a maturing organization sets clear goals and learns to stick to them, it matures. When working with a maturing organization, a consultant, as a rule, gives tasks at once to a whole group, which includes specialists from different areas (marketing, production, sales). This ensures an adequate balance between A and E, and the organization learns to focus on P. It is difficult for a new leader to adapt to an organization at the maturation stage. However, if a good PAEi manager can be found, he or she can set the organization in the right direction and deal with team inconsistencies.
Working with an organization in its heyday (PAЕi)
The role of the Integrator (I) in a mature organization, as a rule, turns out to be less developed: minimal attention is paid to interpersonal relationships. At this stage, it is generally accepted that only business results and market performance matter. First of all, maintaining the growth rate of a mature organization requires decentralization. Thus, the main task of the consultant-therapist becomes to facilitate the process of decentralization. Decentralization, in which the maintenance of E is accompanied by the development of teams (I), may in the long run create an organization of the PAEI type.
The consultant's tasks involve determining the limits of decentralization. These include modeling a new organizational structure and coaching the management team to manage new tasks. In a mature organization, new managers usually have no problem adapting. In a situation where the business is growing, employees feel confident and kindly welcome newcomers. At this stage, the company adapts best if it acquires other companies or is bought by someone else. If decentralization does not occur in a mature organization, it gradually enters a state of stagnation.
Working with a stable organization (PAeI)
At this stage, there is a lull in the company: there is complete unanimity among the employees of the company, and they are deaf to what is happening around. The consultant should help such a company plan for the future, analyze the competitive environment, anticipate threats and new opportunities, and set challenging new goals. As soon as the staff of such an organization begins to see the future again, it is necessary to reorganize and quickly decentralize the company in order to stimulate and stabilize E. In this case, there is a chance to create an organization like PAEI. When working with a company in the stability stage, the consultant must assign tasks to large groups of people.
Tight deadlines are important here to “wake up” people; the team should be composed of people from different departments in order to maximize the activation of E. In a stable organization or at later stages of development, the adaptation of new leaders becomes increasingly difficult. Everything is already established in the organization, and the new style of leadership will take root with difficulty. The older the organization, the more the team will resist different individual management styles. If a guest manager like paEi appears in a stable organization, he will have a hard time, because he is too different from the team. However, integration is still possible.
Working with the organization at the stage of the aristocracy (pAeI)
Working with an organization at the aristocratic stage is generally much more difficult than at any other time in its life. The first thing to do when starting work with such a company is to conduct a group diagnostic, during which participants share information with each other about problems in the organization. In the course of such discussions, an understanding of the seriousness of the problems and the need for change comes. Working sessions should be held often enough so that people can see what state the company is in.
After the team has realized the need for change, it is necessary to “build up the E-capacity” of the company. The consultant gives the task to analyze the mission of the organization. Understanding the future helps the team develop a strategy for the implementation of which a new, decentralized organizational structure is created. As soon as the decision on decentralization is made, training is carried out, which should stimulate behavioral changes in the team.
In the experience of Adizes, such a decentralized organization becomes a PAEI within a year. In order to stimulate the development of the E role without diminishing the I, the consultant works in teams consisting of employees of different specialties and different levels of hierarchy. Strict deadlines for completing assignments are set.
Managers like PaEi or PaEI organically join the aristocratic company. However, if the aristocratic organization is close to bankruptcy, creating a team is much more difficult, since the role of E has already completely disappeared from the company - zero has appeared in its place, and the team does not accept changes at all. In such a case, the only solution would be "surgical intervention" - a replacement of the management team, and later a period of organizational therapy would be needed.
Dealing with a bureaucratic organization (0A0i or 0A00)
As a rule, bureaucratic organizations do not dare to invite a consultant who can look at problems comprehensively, but limit themselves to hiring a specialist in management systems analysis, which helps to strengthen the already redundant function A. Such organizations most likely also need "surgical intervention ”, and a long “rehabilitation” after it. The operation should strengthen function E. At this point, special perseverance will be required, because the collective will resist innovation with all its might. A recovery period will be needed to re-activate the R function. Shock therapy (threat of layoffs, too strict requirements) is not recommended - it will only frighten people, and they will thoughtlessly perform any tasks of the consultant. Instead of tough measures, you need to invite a few new leaders and help them fit into the team.
I present to your attention the book of Yitzhak Adizes. How to overcome management crises. Diagnosis and solution of management problems. Publishing House of the Stockholm School of Economics in St. Petersburg. 2006 306 pages
To date, many books by a talented and original author, Yitzhak Adizes, have been published in Russian. This book was first published in English in 1979. Do not worry! She has not lost her relevance. I have read most of Adizes' books, and I can say that he writes very easily and interestingly, but ... in my opinion, somewhat monotonous. All books revolve around the Adizes method. Briefly, its essence is as follows.
Download a short abstract in the format, some drawings in the format
Effectively managing an organization is too complex a process for one person to successfully manage. At the same time, the complexity is primarily not detailed, but dynamic. On this topic, for example, you can see mine from a master class at the Higher School of Economics.
Adizes proceeds from the fact that management must perform two main functions - to achieve results and to do it effectively; moreover, companies need efficiency and effectiveness, both today and in the future. To perform these functions, the manager must perform four roles (Fig. 1).
Rice. 1. RAPI matrix (in English abbreviation - PAEI).
The main functions of management in the RAPI code:
- P - manufacturer R results
- A - A administrator
- P - P entrepreneur
- AND - And integrator
All these functions are necessary, and in their totality they are sufficient for management to be considered good. Unfortunately,
- No managers, equally successful in all four roles.
- Even if such a manager were found, he would not be able to fulfill these roles at the same high level. simultaneously.
Adizes' takeaway is that instead of looking for the perfect leader (perfect in all four roles), we need balanced management teams made up of complementary top managers.
The four roles are in conflict with each other, and no one is able to play these roles at the same time. If a person tries to do this, managerial errors will inevitably result.
Further, Adizes dwells in detail on the styles of "erroneous" management. As such, he considers a style in which at least one function is not executed at all (well, or almost ...), that is, the code contains one or more dashes. For example, Ra-, rAp-, -P-. In this case, a large letter in the code means that the function is performed at a high level, and a small one means that it is acceptable.
Lone Ranger R—
We often hear that a good manager can manage anything, successfully moving from one technology to another. There is no difference between boots and chewing gum. A person simply needs to have the know-how of planning, organizing, motivating ... This opinion needs to be corrected. A person can control any technology some time later.
The lone ranger sometimes has no time to even breathe. If asked why he doesn't delegate some of the tasks, the typical answer is: "They can't do it right." To the question: “Why don’t you teach them?”, such a person is likely to say that he does not have time. This is how the Lone Ranger finds himself in his own trap. The lone ranger refuses to delegate work because of the peculiarities of his self-perception. If he hands over part of the work to someone, he himself will have less, and therefore he will not look like a good manager. in my own eyes.
Bureaucrat -A—
The administrator is a person who is very attentive to details. If the producer (P) provides efficiency, then the administrator (A) - efficiency. Administrator encourages implementation; he oversees the performance of the company, but he does not work directly on the results for which the company exists, and does not even participate in determining these results. An administrative role is a component required for the management process, but not equivalent to it.
The person who plays only administrative role, not focused on the results of the organization. He does not create a result and does not even know How it is being done. It is easy to recognize a bureaucrat by his focus on How something is being done, not What And For what. A bureaucrat hates uncertainty. He insists that all communications be in writing and that all areas of responsibility be clearly delineated. The bureaucrat does his best to avoid change. He is so adept at finding arguments against new projects that he appears to be an obstructionist. The subordinates of the Bureaucrat are usually inclined to agree with everything. They do what they are told and do not take the lead. They don't ask questions or rock the boat. They arrive on time, leave on time, and do very little during business hours.
A bureaucrat evaluates himself by how well he controls system, and how he manages to eliminate possible deviations from standard procedures and minimize uncertainty.
Administration is a key component of good management, but overemphasizing administration can be counterproductive.
Pyro -P-
Success as an entrepreneur requires both creativity and the ability to take risks. The entrepreneur must create his own plan of action. In a changing environment, the inability to innovate and take risks will cause the organization to lag behind more flexible and agile competitors. Entrepreneurship - creativity and willingness to take risks - is the third role in the TIP model. If the entrepreneurial function suppresses all the others, the Entrepreneur (raPi) degenerates into an Arsonist (—P-).
The Pyro loves the furor that his initiatives make. He loves the hustle and bustle, he likes it when his subordinates rush around the office, trying to cope with the crisis, which he himself created. He seeks to create the fastest possible effect - and achieves it by causing crisis after crisis. The arsonist prefers to keep decisions "in limbo".
The arsonist cares how hard you work appear to be his subordinates. The lone ranger makes decisions taken for him The arsonist decides to be performed by others. The Pyro's decisions are very vague, but he expects the execution to exactly match his wishes, which were never clearly articulated and which he hardly imagined at first.
Superfollower -I
Since the life cycle of an organization is much longer than the life of one person, a good manager must create a team that would guarantee the continuity of leadership. To integrate means to be able to develop solutions that will be supported by those who will actually implement them, or who will be affected by these solutions.
Coming together is a start.
Staying together is progress.
Working together is success.
Henry Ford
If the role of the integrator (rapI) is not supported by any other roles, it degenerates into a Superfollower (—I).
A super follower has no ideas of his own (P), he does not strive to achieve tangible results (P), he is not committed to a particular system (A), he will support any system that provides visibility consensus. Such a manager goes out of his way to please, driven by a strong need to gain approval and create conflict-free relationships. A superfollower doesn't want to make decisions on his own. It is not independent and is based on the opinion of the group. In fact, the Superfollower does not unite anyone. To establish real unity, a serious awareness of common goals is necessary. A superfollower is much more interested in the appearance of unity. The group under his leadership cannot be truly united for a long time, so the Superfollower's behavior is destructive. The organization under his leadership stops in development or changes the direction of development depending on the change in the internal balance of forces.
They say that the difference between a politician and a statesman is that the former is concerned about the upcoming elections, and the latter about the next generation.
A person who occupies a managerial position and does not perform any of the classic managerial roles is an empty shell. Empty is primarily concerned with how to live until retirement. His goal is to keep his little world intact. The biggest danger associated with such a person is that more and more of the same Blanks gather around him. Subordinates who want to grow and develop find themselves next to such a boss in complete confusion and are forced to quit. Those who remain turn into Hollows themselves.
How does a person become a Hollow? One of the traits described above can turn into an Empty due to one-sidedness and lack of flexibility. The Lone Ranger is solely focused on the short term, so he does not have time to teach others and learn himself. Over time, he loses his skills and turns into an Empty. It often happens that, looking at a person with 20 years of experience, we see that, in fact, for all 20 years he repeats what he once achieved. If a person constantly repeats the same professional techniques, after some time he becomes obsolete.
RAPI book manager
Adizes calls the RAPI type of manager a "book" manager because this type is found only in textbooks. No living person behaves like a RAPI. Management textbooks describe a non-existent ideal person. McClelland believes that the individual has three basic needs: the need for achievement, the need for power, the need for belonging.
Law of Lord Acton.
Power corrupts;
absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Thomas Martin
Some authors believe that many companies fail because of one-man management. After a successful start, the management style does not evolve into another, more sustainable form; one person cannot be everywhere and all at once. A person cannot be successful in all roles. RAPI because these roles involve mutually conflicting personality traits. A And P are in conflict because A conservative and wants control, and P strives for change. R And P also in conflict R focused on short-term goals and requires an immediate reaction to their decisions, and P it takes time to develop. The contradiction between P And AND based on the fact that P wants to talk and AND have to listen a lot. Very few can speak And listen equally effectively.
If a person is not a RAPI, this does not mean at all that he is a bad leader. The difference between a bad and a good manager is a question degree.
Organizational styles
Like the roles of one person, each organization has different organizational styles along the way of its life cycle (Fig. 2)
Rice. 2. The life cycle of the organization in the coding RAPI.
Various traps lie in wait for the organization along this life path (Fig. 3).
Rice. 3. Mortality before reaching adulthood.
In the first half of life, the organization moves due to internal energy, impulse (up to the point of inflection). In the decline phase, inertia comes into play. Until maturity, the organization has enough internal resources to develop. Starting from the stage of maturity, an external influence becomes necessary: it is much easier to direct the momentum than to try to change the direction of inertia. At the growth stage it is necessary to stimulate convergent thinking, from the maturity stage it is necessary to stimulate divergent thinking.
What is a good manager?
A competent manager must create an environment
in which the probability of achieving the desired goals is maximum.
Ralph Ablon
A good Adizes leader should have the following qualities:
- At least one of the roles he succeeds perfectly, All the rest he does satisfactorily
- Knows own strengths and weaknesses
- Maintains contact with others, listens to criticism in order to better understand himself; understands that he is what he does
- A balanced view of yourself, realizes your strengths
- Accepts their weaknesses; not trying to be someone else, at least in the short term
- Able to appreciate and recognize the excellent work of others, even in roles he is not very good at
- Accepts the opinion of others in those matters where it may be deeper than his own
- Knows how to resolve conflicts that inevitably arise when people with different styles find themselves on the same management team
- Creates an environment conducive to learning
It is curious that the role of the shaman was to enable everyone to experience everything that is not characteristic of him, so that the person becomes harmonious. Unfortunately, not many companies are distinguished by the wisdom of Indian shamans. Usually, if someone proves to be a good R, he will be kept in this role or will be promoted until the person burns out, turning into an Empty.
Argyris immaturity/maturity scale
We need to learn to appreciate people who can complement us. But most leaders are not confident enough to work with people whose work style is different from their own. They want not complementarity, A similarities.
In the process of steering, conflict is inevitable - and to some extent even desirable: the wheels turn due to a certain level of friction, if only it is not too much. A good manager must create a learning environment where conflict is seen not as a threat but as an opportunity to learn and grow.
Training and development of a good manager
Good managers require training (both formally and in the workplace) and an appropriate corporate culture. Unfortunately, the structure of the modern organization tends to do more to destroy managerial talent than to develop it. People can only become effective managers if they have the opportunity to develop new skills in addition to those already strong. Many commercial organizations would consider this practice a luxury, but the long-term benefits far outweigh the costs.
R And A make programmed decisions; they need training. P And AND make mostly unprogrammed decisions, so they need development (Fig. 4).
Rice. 4. Types of decisions and roles of managers
A simple one-time intervention will not change the style of the leader. type manager And won't AND simply because the next test will show him what his shortcomings are. Knowing your specialty is not enough. The chief accountant must, of course, be proficient in accounting principles, but must also be sufficiently trained to effectively fulfill the roles A, P And AND. Only in this way can a professional become a good versatile leader. Not enough training for a leader only in one of the managerial functions. All the roles are equally important. To get rid of dashes in the code, a person must know the subject of activity ( R); administrative methods ( A); be able to set goals, work in conditions of uncertainty and be ready to take risks ( P); successfully cooperate and manage conflicts, the occurrence of which is inevitable ( AND).
Don't rely too much on formal education. Educated people can be programmed. Education does not help people learn new things, but programs their lives in accordance with accepted standards.
Clarify the difference between delegation and decentralization. Delegation is the transfer to a subordinate of the right to take programmable solutions. Functions R And A can be delegated. Decentralization involves more than just the transfer of standard powers. Those to whom power is transferred through decentralization must be reasonable in decision-making, take the initiative in their own hands, be ready both to initiate something new and to follow orders from above. For decentralization P And AND should be developed in the employees of the organization, starting from the lower levels. Roles P And AND cannot be delegated as they are non-programmable. They need to be nurtured.
Large organizations either do not accept entrepreneurial managers at all ( P), or monopolized all tasks that require entrepreneurial qualities in the hands of top management, not allowing any of their subordinates to do them. Accordingly, when a company needs top-level managers, they are usually invited from the outside, because the company is doing everything to prevent the cultivation of P-talent.
Working outside of a team is working in a vacuum. We grow when we work with others.
Matching individual style to task requirements: creating a managerial mix
If two business partners always agree with each other,
one of them is not needed
William Wrigley
Teamwork effect is not open today. Everyone is familiar with the family business system. As a rule, a man makes purchases, negotiates terms, sets prices, runs a business (functions R And P). A woman keeps records, criticizes the utopian ideas of a man, forms good relationships with clients and employees, maintains the moral climate in the organization and supports the leader (functions A And AND).
Career growth and a typical change in the RAPI code:
Working……………………………………… R—
Starting managerial position.. Rapi
Head of department…………. RAPI
Vice President (usually)………. Rapi
CEO………………… RAPI
Flexible people are rare. Organizations hinder the development of flexibility - work is encouraged, not personal development. Training does not replace development. At best, it is assumed that development will happen by itself under the influence of society. Organizations must develop employees - people who could be trained for leadership positions in the future. The costs of training people who are not ready for change and do not want to learn are much higher than the costs of development. The development of human resources is not at all expensive compared to what the staff turnover, repeated trainings and morale deterioration cost.
Organizational Therapy
Can an internal consultant help the organization? Recently, it has become fashionable among large corporations to create departments of organizational development. Such departments can only be functional in the early stages of a company's life cycle. Later, such a department is unlikely to be useful. A young organization needs A&I development; for this, the resources of the company itself (internal consultants) are sufficient. However, approaching the zenith, the organization needs P more and more, and here it is no longer possible to do without aggressive intervention and even provocations. Internal consultants are not interested or may not be able to initiate significant enough changes within the company (Fig. 5).
- There are no perfect leaders
- Therefore, a team of complementary people with different individual styles of behavior.
- The individual styles of managers should correspond to the tasks that are set for each of them (accountant - A, marketer - P, director of operations - R, HR- AND)
- Conflict is inevitable and desirable.
- A learning environment must be created to transform conflict into a constructive process.
- To support the rejuvenation of the system, periodic, timely and therapeutic organizational changes are required (otherwise it will be too late and surgery will be required)
Once again, what is management?
Mother, a psychologist by profession, once asked her son
take out the trash - and started talking about something else.
Her son interrupted her: “Of course mom, I’ll take out the trash,
but don't motivate me."
Classical management theory elitist– because management is only a small part of the whole team. It is not democratic because it assumes that those who are governed can hardly express their own opinion about who governs them (in other words, leadership is imposed from above).
Management is necessary to ensure a predictable and efficient response to changing environmental conditions. We usually think of an organization as a pyramid, run by managers. It would be more correct to imagine the organization in the form of an hourglass, where the leadership is the bottleneck (Fig. 6).
Rice. 6. Organizational hierarchy in the form of an hourglass.
Introduction to the Adizes management method
If we look at a traditional company based on the TIP model, we will see a kind of pyramid (Fig. 7).
Rice. 7. Distribution of RAPI roles in the hierarchical pyramid.
The purpose of the pyramid structure is to make sure that what the boss wants gets done. The boss is the brain, and his subordinates are hired hands. Organizations striving for efficiency ( A) and result-oriented ( R), programmed ( RA) and resists any change. Many companies are convinced that the structure RA clogs communication channels and isolates the organization from new ideas. To overcome rigidity RA, special “informal” meetings are organized for employees with the president of the company or an open door policy is introduced when everyone gets the opportunity to talk with any manager directly. Unfortunately, these measures rarely work. The more RA-oriented an organization is, the less diverse behavior it is willing to tolerate, and the less chance employees at the bottom of the hierarchy have to convince management of the worthiness of their proposals.
With a disadvantage P in large companies, the incredible growth of the consulting services industry is also associated. Outsourced consultants offer clients ideas like P concerning organizational change.
In the appendix, Adizes describes several "mistaken" management styles:
- RA - overseer
- RA-I benevolent ruler
- -A-And bureaucrat-patriarch
- R—I'm a mediocre coach
- R-P- founder
- RAP single developer
- —PI demagogue
- -API false leader
- -AP- got
- R-PI charismatic guru
When we have a mosaic made up of a thousand pieces, we are dealing with complexity. detailing. Difficulty of another type dynamic. It arises in those cases when the elements can enter into the most diverse relationships with each other. Since each of them is capable of being in many different states, even with a small number of elements, they can be connected in an infinite number of ways. You can't judge complexity based on the number of elements rather than the possible ways they're connected. Adding even one element to the system can lead to a significant increase in dynamic complexity associated with the creation of many additional connections.
Later translations use the term "Dead Stump"! In my opinion, this option is more expressive. 🙂
convergent thinking(from lat. convergere - to converge) is based on the strategy of precise use of previously learned algorithms for solving the problem. Divergent thinking(from Latin divergere - to diverge) - a creative method that consists in finding many solutions to the same problem.
How to overcome management crises. Diagnostics and solution of managerial problems” should be present on the table of every manager. Using vivid examples, she shows how to build a competent leadership line, prevent crises and cope with them if they already exist in the management strategy.
The author of the book, Itzkah Calderon Adizec, is known worldwide for his extensive professional and teaching activities in the field of doing business. The book was published back in 1979, but the methods of dealing with crises and the ways of doing business described in it are relevant today. The Guide to Successful Management Building and Goal Achievement is widely used by more than 2,000 companies around the world. The book was translated into Russian in 2014. Anyone can get acquainted with the publication - the bestseller will not only help top managers find ways out of the crisis. For ordinary employees, it will become a competent and understandable guide on how to achieve success in climbing the career ladder and developing yourself as a person.
Theory about the qualities of a manager
- (P) producer - the ability to work for the result and achieve it. This is a person who is well versed in a particular area of business;
- (A) administrator - the ability to competently manage the personnel and projects of the company. Such a person is attentive to details and clearly understands how to complete the work;
- (E) entrepreneur - the ability to find ways and make decisions aimed at making a profit and developing the company. Such a manager takes risks and analyzes the situations created around the company;
- (I) integrator - the ability to correctly and rationally implement ideas, as well as listen to the comments and thoughts of employees, settle disputes, seek compromises.
PAEI: Book manager
A leader with all qualities (PAEI) is the manager described in the book. It is unlikely, however, that you will meet a leader who fully possesses at least two of these abilities. As a rule, only one of these business styles prevails in a person.
Perhaps the crisis of management is due to the fact that you misrecognized your qualities? Then you should understand yourself and select the appropriate team, each member of which will complement the quartet of the ideal qualities of a top manager. Itzhak Adizes' book, How to Overcome Management Crises, will help you to discern such qualities in your employees and identify your capabilities.
Author's ideas: how to combine all the qualities of an ideal manager?
In order for your company to develop concisely, make a profit and always stay afloat, you need to either pick up a strong team, or try to competently combine several types of leaders.
Practical advice, which will be useful even for middle managers, says that you need to choose a single tactic of behavior for yourself, and learn how to perform other functions at a satisfactory level.
The book talks about the pros and cons of each role, clearly delineates the capabilities of each leadership team and helps to achieve their goals. With the help of the book “How to overcome management crises. Diagnosis and solution of managerial problems ”, you will delve into internal processes that have gone unnoticed to the eye, learn not only to get out of conflict situations and overcome crises, but also to prevent their occurrence.
You can download the book "How to overcome management crises" by Yitzhak Adizes by purchasing it from the link below. The copyright holder prohibits any distribution of this book, although it can usually be found on the open spaces of Vkontakte.