A "broken window theory" of management!
I've lived in the New York metropolitan area twice, once as a college student and later as a college professor with a young family. I've also visited NYC on numerous other occasions. Over the years there was a significant improvement in the cleanliness and livability of the city. Some attributed this to Rudy Giuliani's application of the "broken window theory" to policing. There were crackdowns on jaywalking, honking, blocking the box (getting stuck in an intersection during a red light so that cross traffic could not proceed), and littering.
The idea was that
focusing on smaller violations ("broken windows") put people on notice and created an environment where the larger issues occurred less frequently.
I see an application of the "broken window theory" to management.
Everything DiSC materials make a distinction between leadership (a one-to-many relationship) and management (a one-to-one relationship). Like parenting, when management of individuals is done well it may open you up to charges of favoritism and inconsistency because each person is managed to make progress on her individualized path to maturity.
What are those small behaviors that managers often choose to overlook? Tardiness, snippiness of tone, work that isn't quite up to your expectations, inappropriate nonverbals during meetings are examples of these "broken windows."
There are three reasons these "broken windows" are often left unaddressed.
#1: Fear of charges of hypocrisy because no one is perfect
If you want to influence others to mature then you've got to move beyond this barrier. It is true that no one is perfect, but this does not mean that you are not in a position to help someone else be a better version of himself. Otherwise, why are you the manager?
It is your combination of knowledge, maturity, and ability to communicate specific opportunities for growth to others that enables you to perform the difficult (often underappreciated) work of management. If you simply know more than others, then you are a content expert able to speak to the quality of work produced, but you are not equipped to manage others. Management is about investing in the development of your team members as individuals. If you are a person of integrity and are willing to share your own experiences of growth, then you may be respected rather than loathed.
#2: Belief there isn't enough time or energy to focus on these small behaviors
This is your job. These small behaviors have been "outlawed" for a reason. Just as jaywalking is a violation because of its impact on the safety of both pedestrians and drivers, so rolling of eyes at a coworker is a violation of open and honest dialogue. It is a vague gesture capable of different interpretations, none of which in our culture are positive. If you foster an environment where the little behaviors are attended to, coached, and positive responses rewarded, then the larger issues will arise less frequently, in part, because tensions won't be allowed to accumulate like a spreading pool of gasoline requiring only a small match to ignite.
#3: Belief this is unrealistic because not all weaknesses need to be addressed
That's true. Debilitative weaknesses that undermine effectiveness and teamwork need to be addressed. Complementary weaknesses are opportunities for others to express their strengths in one's life. If you're an alcoholic you need to stop drinking - that's a debilitative weakness. Less dramatically, if you communicate consistently through sarcasm and are not a stand-up comic, then you need to learn to be assertive (i.e., direct and clear in your communication), rather than relying on a form of expression notoriously indirect and unclear. If you cannot repair your own vehicle you need to find a trustworthy and competent mechanic - that's a complementary weakness that fits with another's strengths and allows the other to express and to benefit from those strengths. The recognition and expression of complementary weaknesses need to be encouraged so that team members rely on one another and don't try to go it alone.
It is NOT the case that everyone needs to be an expert in everything.
At bottom, we desire a professional environment where people bring the right attributes and achieve the expected results. "Professionalism" is a word embraced by employers but defined differently depending upon the context. It may refer to wearing suit and tie or to dressing in shorts and flip-flops depending upon whether one is a financial advisor or a surfing instructor.
What needs to be true of your workplace is for "professionalism" to be defined clearly so that behavioral expectations are known and broken windows quickly repaired.
At Julian Consulting we help our clients to define, repair and prevent broken windows so that an environment of health and mutual respect is fostered. Call TODAY to determine how we can serve you in this process.
July 1, 2014, marked the seven year anniversary of Julian Consulting. When I began this work I thought it might be a temporary transition to my next real job. Instead it has become an expression of my calling and personal mission: "To free people to be themselves."
