I am going to do my best to approach this from a professional/developmental standpoint, rather than one of emotion. To all businesses and organizations (which I am sure are also struggling with this issue): We need to get program execution and the hiring/training of promising and capable personnel under control!

Our programs are failing. If some managers were even paying attention, they would notice that their numbers are down. There are too many unfulfilled wishes and empty promises being thrown about. We need fewer “wanters” and more “do-ers.” Managers are more concerned with keeping the peace than they are withholding their staff accountable. It is no wonder ships are sinking.

The excuse I hear most often is that there is a “University culture,” which is silently observed– as if it is some written doctrine we are all supposed to follow. Do I hold the “University culture” responsible when students become unsatisfied? How about when we start losing clients and customers?

Instead of brainstorming — as a team — new, 21st Century, innovative ideas, to keep programs exciting and desirable,  managers are busy failing to keep track of their staff. As a manager, you should never approach your secretary, who is more than likely at the bottom of the authority chain, and ask the whereabouts of your other staff members. I find this lack of awareness and ownership to be repulsive! But a manager should never have to ask those questions to begin with unless something critical or unforeseen has happened to a team member. Your staff should be reporting to you where they are, why they are away, and if they believe they will be present in the office for any part of that day.

Although mainly in retail, I do possess three years of experience as a manager. I have found it very interesting to observe the differences in management styles between myself and other managers I encounter. There is no perfect manager, and every manager could always work to improve something about his or her technique, but what I am witnessing is a complete lack of initiative. 

Communication is arguably one of the most critical aspects of managing a program or staff, and even that lacks (in grotesque quantities). When you plan to be out of the office, please let your secretary– the only one in the office; the first point of contact for your program participants– know when she can expect you to return, and how she can go about seeking support in the event of a parent, student or program affiliate reaching out for assistance she is not able to provide them. When a secretary has to tell a prospective student to “try calling back in a couple of days or so,” because he or she has no idea when to expect his or her administrators to return, there is a problem. 

I enjoyed my time in management. I got along with my staff. I communicated well with them, made sure they were given a diverse task list each day– with clear instructions as to how things needed to be done– and made myself available, within reason, for any necessary support. I rewarded my staff when we worked well, hit KPIs, and met goals for the month, and I reprimanded my team when a now-call-no-show or other policy violation took place. I coached my team whenever training opportunities presented themselves and made sure if my staff was ever “in the grit” I was right there beside them. No matter how high up the ranks I moved, I wanted my team to know I would be there, and I would be more than happy to get my hands dirty. It was the most stressful time of my life, and yet, the most rewarding. I would look, my inspectors, recruiters, marketing team, district manager, and regional manager in the eye when they would visit, and proudly represent my store because I knew the hard work that my staff and I put into running our business, and that it would be more than evident and much appreciated. 

Sometimes, I feel like the blind are encouraged to lead the blind, with no resistance. Why are we so afraid of asking questions and taking direction? Why are we not more concerned about what our students and parents are getting out of their programs? We call ourselves a team, but we might as well be working on different planets. We have a minimal idea as to what each team member is doing or working on at a given time, and when these “ghost assignments” would be due, which means reservations get double-booked, materials get double-ordered, and nothing ever seems to be taken care of right, or on the first go.

No one has any concept as to the timeline and process of requests and orders (even though they have been here for 30 years), resulting in last-minute pursuits, which are sparsely fulfilled or yielding less than optimal results. The ark was not built in one week, so senior/staff gifts should not be either! If you know we need gifts or memorabilia to be imprinted, engraved, and licensing-approved before being produced, please do not set an order sheet on my desk and expect your items to be here in five days! Whatever happened to leaving room for incidentals? Has anyone ever heard that before? That is the process of a timeline and procedure analysis, which allows us to anticipate any possible issues or problems that may slow down production! Now, because this was not practiced, your plaques have arrived damaged in the mail the day before your banquet, and you can’t even receive a replacement in time for the ceremony! Perfect. Awesome.

People get tired of being six steps ahead to make sure they are always holding their weight and never being their team’s Achilles heel, just for everyone else’s’ lethargy and incompetence to continue setting operations behind. You would think to have a trip to an educational conference canceled, which the students would have benefited greatly from, would open some eyes. And yet, six months later, something urges me to write this. 

People communicate what they need from their teams: better communication in return, faster communication, and less indecisive or last-minute planning. Too often, they get no response. They don’t even care to defend themselves against the accusations. Does no one care how this looks or how this may be hindering our performance?

Perhaps I will do a study to include some real research on this topic for a future post. Today, I just needed to be heard.

Header image courtesy of www.floorconsult.com