Red vs Blue

Water Cooler Talk
I was talking with some co-workers today who were lamenting the current state of management at our employer.    These wise individuals have (correctly) identified two distinct management styles within our organization.   For ease of reference, I'll refer to these two groups as the "red" team and the "blue" team.

Red: Managers who know that without their help, the engineering staff would sit dumb, deaf, and mute all day long

Blue:  Managers who support and encourage the engineering rank and file by actively engaging them and giving them the leeway needed to shine

These individuals rattled off the group associations for various managers.   Unfortunately, the red team's membership was larger (non-zero)  than it should be (zero).    How did things get this way, and what can be done about it?

The Cause

My perception is that the issue stems primarily (though not completely) from a lack of trust.   All the managers have been made directly accountable for their groups success or failure and so want to do everything possible to ensure success by tackling as much as possible themselves.   Unfortunately, this is perceived as the managers not having any trust that the engineering staff has the knowledge and experience to make the correct decision.    Regrettably, this perception of distrust is magnified by the fact that with few exceptions, the managers do not possess a software engineering background and lack "street cred".    Finally, when the manager has made a bad call, rarely have they taken responsibility for it - instead, it was a "group decision".   Such actions only serve to exacerbate the issue.

The Cure

I think the solution to this problem is relatively simple, if difficult to actually do:  communication.   Open and honest communication works wonders to build relationships and therefore trust.   Comparing the styles of managers between each camp reveals several small but significant differences:

• Formal (largely one-way) status meetings vs. Frequent, short one-on-one conversations
• Lack of responsiveness via email, IM vs. Nearly instant responsiveness
• Only visits your cube when something is wrong vs. Offers to discuss it in his office.
• "I think ..." vs. "What do you think..."
• "That's not right!" vs. "You might be right, but tell me why you think that way."

The red styles have the effect of shutting down communication from the engineering staff, which then give the managers the impression that the engineering staff doesn't want to engage - reinforcing their belief that they must be the drivers to succeed.   The blue styles, on the other hand, encourage the staff to try more, do more, and become more.      All of these are communications related.    What would happen if the red team started adopting the blue team's communications styles?   What effect would that have on the relationship between them and their subordinates?   What effect might that have on employee engagement and productivity?

The Conclusion

Just as a ship making a small change in course can have a large effect on the final destination, making a few small changes in communications can have a large effect on the relationship between  management and staff.    Good organizations recognize this, while others eventually wither away.

I am fortunate to have a manager solidly playing for the blue team.   How about you?