Notes - Feb. 1, 1998

Two important dimensions of management are:

• Concern for Task
• Concern for People.

People who are high on a concern for task and lower on concern for people are often more directive in their approach and quite comfortable in making decisions. People who are the oppositive -- that is, a high concern for people and a lower concern for getting the work done are often more behavioral in their approach. They communicate well and people like them but it may or may not lead to better work performance.

To be a good manager you need to maintain a good balance between these two concerns. When we speak about decision-making we will focus on the more directive approach and then shift to the other side when we consider issues of staffing and motivating pe ople.

One important skill of the manager is the ability to take the initiative ("Take charge") and to make a decision when one is required. If you took the Decision Style Inventory, you have some idea of the extent to which you are comfortable taking the ini tiative and being decisive. If your score on the "directive" style was like mine (not number 1 or 2), you may have some trouble with these skills and need to practice and possibly consider the advice of a leading activist executive -- John Welch, f ormer chairman and CEO of General Electric, who posed the following six rules for effective management:

1. Face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish it to be.
2. Be candid with everyone.
3. Don't manage, lead.
4. Change before you have to.
5. If you don't have a competitive advantage, don't compete.
6. Control your own destiny or someone else will.

Some steps for taking initiative:

1. Take an energetic and positive approach to your tasks.
2. Focus on the important tasks.
3. Be persistent and patient in the face of inertia.
4. Set an example of seeking excellence.
5. Center action on clearly specified and attainable goals and objective.

Some keys to becoming more decisive:

1. Know that you might fail.

2. Know that you can change your decision.

3. Don't overemphasize facts and data. Analysis can become end rather than means.

4. Trust your intuition and your sense of what's right.

5. Get input from colleagues and other people you respect and trust.

6. Use outside experts when required.

7. Generate as many solutions as you can.

8. Play devil's advocate. Focus on the extremes and think worst and best possible outcome.

9. Postpone the decision, if cost of delay is not too great.

(Lists modified from Quinn, Robert E. et al. Becoming a Master Manager. Wiley, 1990.)