ChristianManager.com

I just picked up Michael Gerber’s “E Myth Mastery”.  This book has been around awhile since it was published in 2006 but still very relevant.  Gerber has a few books in the E Myth vein but up to this point I was only familiar with his first.

If you are or have ever aspired to become an entrepreneur, this Gerber’s books are for you.  His major emphasis is that to make a company a world class organization, the entrepreneur must focus on working ON the business not IN it.  This is a very important differentiation. 

I started reading this book because it is part of the curriculum for a class in entrepreneurial management I am teaching at a local university.  As I read further, I will report back with some of what I think are his best points.  I am very impressed with what I have read up to this point and would place it in the “must read” category for anyone running a small business.

 Luther Maddy, ChristianManager.com

Filed under: Christian Manager, Reviews | No Comments »

Instead of keeping up with this blog as much as I should have, I’ve spent the last year writing a book.  Rather than writing a book on being a Christian Manager, like I should have, I wrote a book about the years of 2007 – 2009 of my life, and it’s, at least in my opinion, quite humorous.

            The official description is:

Losing his spouse of nearly twenty-eight years to fast moving cancer the author found himself facing loneliness like never    before.  To combat this powerful malady, he took the most      logical steps he could think of. Within eight months of her passing he had married a woman he barely knew, and decided to live life in the fast lane, on a motorcycle much of the time.

“Two Years on the Run” is the story of the author and his wife, also widowed, attempting to build a history together.  As they travel to Alaska, Florida, and Maui, backpack Zion National Park and take many motorcycle trips in the first two years of their marriage; they face their painful pasts and build memories together.

As you travel with the author and his spouse, you’ll enjoy his self-deprecating humor as he describes his attempts to transition into this new life.  You’ll face the challenges with them as they travel four thousand miles in two weeks on their bikes, overcoming the elements and the author’s mechanical ineptitude. Along the way you’ll laugh with and at the author and learn interesting facts about the places they visit.

It available in both paperback digital on Kindle and nook.  If you’d like to preview the first two chapters of this book, go to:  http://www.luthermaddy.com/books/TwoYears.html

 Thanks,

Luther Maddy, ChristianManager.com    Email This Post

Filed under: Christian Manager, Opinion | No Comments »

            John Kotter’s “Our Iceberg is Melting” is an easy to read fable about a colony of penguins facing a life or death change.  This colony of penguins must find a new home before their current home breaks apart.  Faced with skepticism and outright opposition, the forward thinking penguins are able to convince the group to move to safety.

            Depsite the title, this book nothing to do with global climate change.  It does have everything to do with illustrating Kotter’s “Eight Step Process of Successful Change” in a very easy to understand manner.  The eight steps in Kotter’s model are:

Setting the stage

Establish urgency

Help others see they need to act quickly.

 Create a guiding coalition

Put together a group with enough power, skill and respect to guide the rest of the organization, or colony in this case, through the change.

Decide what to do

Develop a vision and strategy to achieve that vision

Show how the future will differ from the past.

Make it happen

 Communicate the change vision

Make sure others understand and accept the vision.

 Empower others to act

Remove potential barriers that keep others from acting.

Produce short-term wins

Create small successes as quickly as possible.

Don’t let up

Be relentless making the change a reality.

Make it stick

 Anchor the change in the culture

Ensure the new ways become strong corporate traditions.

            This book is written in a similar manner to Spencer Johnson’s “Who Moved My Cheese”.  In fact, Johnson wrote the forward to “Our Iceberg is Melting”.    If you need to understand Kotter’s change model or want others to understand it better, reading this book should achieve just that.

 Luther Maddy III, ChristianManager.com

Filed under: Christian Manager, Reviews | No Comments »

            The advent of online education has created more choices than ever before for continuing or completing your education.  Depending on where you live, you may have the option of completing your entire degree in the classroom, on the web or with a combination of the two.  However, whether you have some college behind your or are starting at the beginning, the college you choose is a decision that will affect you greatly for years to come. 

            When choosing a college, you should first determine your long range educational goals. You should decide the purpose of degree you are thinking about pursuing and whether or not that will be a stepping stone or the end itself.  For instance, perhaps you are in a management position, but moving up within the company will require completing your bachelor’s degree.  Or, perhaps after completing that degree, you want to move into upper management which will require a master’s degree.  Or, perhaps you’ve always wanted to be called doctor, and see the completing your bachelor’s degree program as the first step in the process that will eventually lead to a position within a college or university. Your ultimate educational goal makes all the difference in determining which college to attend.

            When choosing a college, you first want to ensure that college is not simply a diploma mill.  You can do this very easily by checking on the college’s accreditation status.  If the college you are considering is eligible for federal Pell Grants and student loans, it is an accredited school.  The US Department of Education maintains a list of accrediting agencies (http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html) it recognizes and to be authorized for federal tuition assistance, the school must be accredited. Deterring the school is accredited is the easy part.  Whether or not you need to delve any deeper into the topic depends on your future educational goals. 

            To murky the waters a little, there are two types of accreditation: regional and national.  There are several national accreditation agencies such as the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.  These agencies ensure the schools and colleges they oversee comply with rigid standards and offer quality education.  The tuition costs at nationally accredited schools can vary widely, from very affordable to very expensive. 

            So what’s the difference between national and regional accreditation and why does it matter?  First, national accreditation is administered by an accrediting agency that oversees schools all over the country.  Regional accreditation agencies oversee schools within a specific region. 

            Schools that are nationally accredited are often smaller and have multiple locations.  In the Boise, Idaho area for example, nationally accredited schools include Stevens Henager and Brown Mackie.  These schools have campuses in many cities.  Regionally accredited schools would include Boise State University, the University of Idaho, Northwest Nazarene University and the College of Western Idaho. Public colleges and universities are most likely regionally accredited.  Most, but by no means all, “for profit” colleges and universities are nationally accredited.  One exception to this is the University of Phoenix, which is regionally accredited and a for profit school.

            Now for the “why it matters” answer.  If you are completing a degree to get or keep a specific job, then the type of accreditation probably does not matter.  It is unlikely your current or potential employer will care whether your degree came from a nationally or regionally accredited school.  As long as you earned your degree from an accredited college or university, the employer’s requirement should be met.

            However, if you want to pursue additional education and obtain a higher degree that requires attending another college, accreditation becomes a much larger factor.  When it comes to transferring credits, most nationally accredited schools will gladly accept transfer credit from schools that are either nationally or regionally accredited.  It may be a little educational snobbery or something else entirely, but most regionally accredited schools will not accept any credits from nationally accredited schools.

            Here’s a real life example.  Just out of high school, a young lady decides to go to college to become a medical assistant.  She enrolls in and completes an associate’s degree program at a local, nationally accredited, career college.  Although she completed the program, it has helped her see she would rather become a registered nurse or perhaps even a physician’s assistant.  This will require additional education at a new school.

            With the transcript for her associate’s degree in hand this young lady, now two years older and with substantial student loan debt, arrives at the local community college to enroll in the nursing program.  Sadly she discovers the degree she just earned has prepared her to become employed as a medical assistant but not even one of her credits will transfer into the community college.  She is now forced to retake many of the same classes and incur additional student loan debt to take classes she could sleep through and still pass.

So which college should you choose?  If you are sure you will never pursue additional education, then it does not matter at all.  However, if you think further education may be a possibility or that you may change your mind and switch majors midstream, the you should probably choose a college with maximum credit transferability and that means a regionally accredited institution.  Email This Post

Luther Maddy, ChristianManger.com

Filed under: Christian Manager, Education, Opinion | 1 Comment »

            Self-efficacy is defined as a person’s belief in their own competence.  Some might define it as an “I can” or “can do” attitude. People who lack self-efficacy do not set and achieve goals because they do not feel competent in their abilities to achieve those goals, lofty or small.  The result of a lack of self-efficacy is a failure to excel or even attempt to excel.

            At first glance, the concept of self-efficacy may seem incompatible with a Christian worldview, but I do not agree.  Yes, we are discouraged from “thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought” (Rom 12:3).  We are also discouraged Biblically from developing an attitude of pride and self-sufficiency.  But, at the same time, we are implored to perform to our best abilities and work as we are working for the Lord (Col. 3:23). 

            Many research studies, secular and Christian, have shown a direct correlation between a person’s feelings of self-efficacy and their job satisfaction and their ability to find employment if they are currently unemployed.  This includes several studies done with pastors.  Persons with higher self-efficacy feel better about their positions and will likely perform better in that position than those with lower self-efficacy.  Lower self-efficacy is related to the intention to change jobs, even with pastors.

            As long as Christians understand their true place in the world in relation to God, there is no problem with incorporating an “I can” attitude.  Of course, we can do nothing without God willing it.  However, we are to accomplish “something”, both in our professions and in our work for the Lord.  We are not to sit around with feelings of worthlessness and incompetence.  As Christians, we are loved, purchased and adopted into the family of God. 

            The Apostle Paul accomplished much for the kingdom.  He is an excellent example of Christian self-efficacy.  Paul definitely had a “can do” attitude.  He could not have been the great church planter and leader he was had he not had high levels of self-efficacy.  However, Paul did not boast in his own strength or abilities, he gave credit where it was due.  Nevertheless, he was sure in his abilities and his calling when he said, “I can accomplish all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Phil 4:13).

            If you manage employees and want them to perform better, build up their self-efficacy.  Encourage and praise them for a job well done.  Show them you trust them in your delegation efforts. 

            If you know a Christian struggling with low self-efficacy, remind them of their position in Christ.  Help them recall their past accomplishments and encourage them to keep trying.  If this person is a pastor, let them know how much you appreciate their efforts.  If this person is currently unemployed, add them to your prayer list and encourage them to join a support group that can begin to rebuild the self-efficacy that losing a job can nearly destroy.

 Luther M. Maddy III, ChristianManager.com

Filed under: Christian Manager | No Comments »

When I’m not at my day job, I teach for two local colleges.  One of the classes I teach is Introduction to Computer Literacy.   In this class I cover terminology and operating systems and then get to the good stuff, using business applications, specifically Microsoft Office.

To keep my students awake during the otherwise dry terminology portion of the class, I cover some computing history.  My favorite part of this session is discussing the plethora of personal computers introduced between 1978 and 1983.  I display photos of the Commodore 64, TI 994a, Timex/Sinclair, Atari 400 and others.  I also show them photos of the Osborne, Kaypro and some other computers that used the CP/M operating system

Most of my students have never heard of any of the computers I display, perhaps because this time period was before many of them were even born.  However, I use these computers to make a point about operating systems and standardization.  I explain that the crowd of computers marketed for home use were not cross company compatible.  The game I purchased for my Commodore 64 would not run on my friend’s Apple because neither had the same operating system. At that time, there was no standard operating system.

To further illustrate the point I discuss video tapes and DVDs.  Most of my students have some familiarity with at least one of these. I then explain that in the early days of video tape players and recorders, consumers had a choice between VHS and Beta.  Because of effective marketing and price points, VHS won the war and became the standard.  Likewise, many of the students recall recent history when they could choose between HD and Blu Ray for high quality DVD playback.

After the students understand the concept of the market choosing a standard, I then explain that there was an existing standard in the business computer world, CP/M.  Next, I tell them the somewhat tragic story of the IBM PC, Gary Kildall and Bill Gates.  Of course the key to Microsoft succeeding as it did was the open architecture of the IBM PC allowing other companies to make computers that worked like it did.  I conclude by informing my students that IBM no longer sells PC’s.  Ultimately, IBM failed to keep any share of the market it created.

Throughout the PC wars, Apple has managed to remain a successful player.  From the introduction of the Mac and then the “I” series of products, Apple has proven its ability to remain cutting edge.  In my intro class I like to remind my students of the very effective “I’m a PC and I’m a Mac” television commercials.

Many business prognosticators have been predicting, or perhaps hoping for, the demise of Microsoft for some time.  Yet, despite aggressive marketing and lawsuits, Windows still holds a significant and steady share of the PC software market.  Apple is making inroads, but has not yet significantly affected the Windows market share.

I conclude the standardization lesson with a slide showing the IBM PC and its Macintosh counterpart, the PC and Mac guy and an I-pad and Windows tablet.  I ask the class who they think will ultimately win this war.

After seeing a show of hands for Apple and then for Microsoft I give them my opinion which is, finally, the subject of this post.  I surprise the entire class by informing them that I believe the winner of the operating system war is not pictured on this slide.  The winner I tell them, in my opinion will be neither Apple nor Microsoft.

Few will deny that the future of computing is mobile.  Smartphones are far more powerful than first and second generation personal computers.  With its significant advertising budget the I-phone and I-pad appear to be taking the world by storm.  However, in reality, another consumer trend has quickly emerged pointing to the adoption of a new standard in mobile operating systems.

Google recently announced that it is activating over 550,000 Android devices every day.  No, that is not a typo.  And, while most of these are smart phones, the number of Android tablets is also growing.  Conversely, PC sales have leveled and have even shown some slight declines in recent years.

So, is the Windows PC dead?  Not yet.  Is the Windows PC dying?  Perhaps.  The Windows PC will likely always have its place in the office as a business tool.  However, for the masses on the go and at home, smartphones and tablets will probably become the computing device of choice.  Google’s Android clearly owns the smartphone operating system market and will likely soon own the tablet market as well.  The combatants in the operating system war that really matters are not Microsoft and Apple, but Google and Apple.  And, if I had to pick the winner, I’d put my money on Google.    Email This Post

Luther M. Maddy III,

WWWChristianManager.com

Filed under: Christian Manager, Opinion | No Comments »

As the director of a small vocational school where the typical student is a female nearing the age of fifty and recently displaced from long term employment, I have had a cursory awareness of the detrimental psychological effects being laid off can have on older workers for some time.  The first sentence of the mission statement of the vocational school in which I serve as director reads: “Rocky Mountain Business Academy exists to give our students the skills and self‑confidence they need to procure employment and succeed in the career for which they have trained.”  When that statement was developed almost ten years ago, I understood that new skills alone were not enough to secure employment.  Self-confidence and a positive attitude were also necessary components of a successful job search.

What I did not understand fully understand at that time was how emotionally devastating a job loss can be for some older workers.  In addition to dealing with the financial and emotional costs of job loss, older displaced workers often find it very difficult to procure new employment (Shafer, Choppa 1993).  To better understand the special challenges my students and other older displaced workers face, I embarked on a journey to add to my knowledge base. In the process I discovered many studies, both quantitative and qualitative that addressed the effects a lay off can have to the self-esteem of older workers. I also found practical steps they can take to begin rebuilding their confidence.

Losing an established job, aside from the obvious financial affects, also causes many displaced workers to enter a grieving process (Archer, Rhodes 1993).  This study reported that over half of its unemployed participants reported feelings of “depression, anxiety connected with the job loss, restlessness, and a feeling of loss of self” (Archer, Rhodes 1993, p 399).  When reporting their feelings about their job loss, some participants reported nearly breaking down in tears at times and isolating themselves socially. The Archer and Rhodes (1993) study also suggested that the grief resulting from a job loss often stayed with participants years after the layoff and was not unlike the grief experienced when losing a loved one.

 In a qualitative case study which followed a 53 year old male painter displaced after his employing firm shut down, the researcher reported that he “had been showing signs of depression and withdrawal” (Smallen 1993, p. 535) at the beginning of the study.   Smallen (1993) suggests that older workers are significantly affected by a job loss when it changes their “life narrative”.  Many older workers are adaptable and can handle change but, when that change does not fit the life narrative they have created for themselves, they find it difficult to adjust.  Smallen (1993), through the use of recording the participant’s work like narrative, was able to help him create a new life narrative that included a new career.  After accepting the new life narrative himself, the participant presented the plan to his spouse, and with her support, changed careers into a lower paying, but satisfying position.

After being displaced, older workers often need to be retrained to once again become viable job contenders.  However, as one qualitative study in England reported, older workers often harbor negative feelings about themselves and their abilities and this prevents them from entering retraining programs (Porcellato, Carmichael, Hulme, Ingham, Prashar 2010, p 86).  The study in England used semi-structured interviews of 56 individuals with a mean age of 58.9.  Of these 56 participants, 22 were employed in some capacity and the others were displaced.

The lower self-perceptions of older workers are often related to commonly held myths pertaining to age.  Those myths are; “1. Older workers are slower than younger workers; (2) Older workers do not have the physical capabilities to perform the job; (3) Older Worders have high absenteeism rates; (4) Older workers do not adjust well to change.” (Shafer, Choppa 1993, p. 36). 

Although many studies have debunked these myths, they still plague the older job seeker.  One study participant reported, “I feel very able to do a lot of things, and my husband… We both go out cycling.  We both do lots of things and we also know people that are a lot younger than us that are not physically fit…But, an employer won’t see that at all,” (Porcellato, Carmichael, Hulme, Ingham, Prashar 2010, p 92).  This study reported that negative self-perceptions actually kept at least five of the survey participants from entering a vocational retraining programs.

Although illegal in both the United States and England, this study reported that several participants feel they have been victims of age discrimination.  As one reported, “I believe I was discriminated against…I didn’t get past the first interview. And I’ve seen the faces in the paper of the people that have got those jobs and…there were very young indeed…and I’d like to know how there were qualified,” (Porcellato, Carmichael, Hulme, Ingham, Prashar 2010, p 95).  This study also reported that thirteen of the participants felt their age had negatively influenced potential employer decisions.

Vocational training, especially training in information technology skills is paramount in assisting older displaced workers re-enter the workforce.  However, as the Porcellato, Carmichael, Hulme, Ingham, Prashar (2010) study reported, many older workers are reluctant to enter training to enhance their technology skills.  The study attributes this reluctance to low self-confidence and self-efficacy in their abilities to learn.  As one participant reported, “I think a lot of older people are very reluctant to take on board new technology…a long of people are very, very reluctant…because they might fail.  This is part of the problem.  They are too afraid of failure…” (Porcellato, Carmichael, Hulme, Ingham, Prashar 2010, p 94).

The Porcellato, Carmichael, Hulme, Ingham, Prashar (2010) study concluded that negative self-image led older workers to self-discrimination as they often bought into the common myths about age.  That, coupled with fear of failure, prevented many from entering re-training programs and becoming more employable.  Real and perceived age discrimination caused many to undervalue their own ability to contribute to a new employer.

The psychological damage resulting from a job loss is well documented in numerous studies.  Losing a job often damages the displaced worker’s self-concept by eliminating the identity that comes from an occupation (Garrett-Peters, 2009).  In most cases, to become employable, self-esteem and self-efficacy must be rebuilt and improved.  In a study of twenty-two displaced managers and professionals, most of whom were over forty years old, Garrett-Peters (2009) used a combination of grounded theory and analytic induction to determine the methods used to rebuild damaged self-concept.

In the course of this research, Garrett-Peters (2009) observed several support group meetings for displaced workers and also conducted intensive interviews with the twenty-two participants focused on their experiences related to unemployment.  In these interviews Garrett-Peters (2009) discovered major damage to self-concept resulting from unemployment.  As one participant reported, “I think the one thing I would like to emphasize is how devastating the layoff was.  I talk about having three pillars; family, job and religious faith. And, it was like all of a sudden one of those wasn’t there” (Garrett-Peters, 2009, p. 552). 

Through this study, Garrett-Peters (2009) discovered five strategies to rebuilding a displaced worker’s self-concept after unemployment.  Those five strategies were; “(1) redefining the meaning of unemployment, (2) realizing accomplishment, (3) restructuring time, (4) forming accountability partnerships, and (5) helping others” (Garrett-Peters, 2009, p. 549).

In the first step, redefining unemployment, support group members were encouraged to focus on potential new achievements rather than on the layoff itself.  Three of the four support groups observed in this study were affiliated with churches.  These groups stressed helping the group members to see the layoff as part of God’s plan for their life.  “Seeing one’s suffering as part of God’s plan also made that suffering bearable by giving it meaning” (Garrett-Peters,  2009, p. 554).

In the second strategy, realizing accomplishment, group members were encouraged to celebrate daily accomplishments, job search related or not.  In placing value on these daily accomplishments participants were reminded that they were still competent and “still capable of making things happen” (Garrett-Peters, 2009, p. 557).  Group members were encouraged to set and attain daily goals, such as sending out a specific number of resumes or making a certain number of calls.  Getting an interview, even when not successfully landing the position, was cause for realizing accomplishment. 

In the third strategy, restructuring time, the displaced workers learned to stay busy in goal achieving activities.  Staying busy enhanced efficacy and the conception that the displaced worker was still capable (Garrett-Peters 2009).  Some participants reported having to learn better tine management even during the job search activities.  As one participant reported, “I limit myself not, the time on one the computer.  I just tell myself, ‘Okay. You’ve got thirty minutes to go in there and do what you’ve gotta do.  Then get off.’ Because you can waste so much time” (Garrett-Peters, 2009, p. 563).

In the fourth strategy, forming accountability partnerships, group members were encouraged to become accountable to someone else.  These partnerships patterned the motivational element of the workplace of having to meets the expectations of a supervisor. (Garrett-Peters, 2009, p. 566).  Some group members found accountability in the support groups themselves while others formed partnerships with one or two group members and met additionally with their partners.

The fifth and final strategy defined by Garrett-Peters (2009) was helping others.  In this strategy displaced workers were encouraged to look beyond themselves and assist others.  The support groups provided members with opportunities to volunteer their particular areas of expertise to assist group members and others outside the group.  The study found that “feelings of efficacy could thus be derived from offering something concrete to another group member.  Such acts of help, consistent with a Christian ethic, also helped members of the church affiliated groups bolster their feeling of self-worth (Garrett-Peters, 2009, p. 568). 

The Garrett-Peters (2009) study concluded that these five strategies are effective for the crucial step of rebuilding self-concept after a traumatic layoff.  As other studies have shown, damage to self-confidence is a critical challenge to an older displaced worker becoming re-employed.  The Garrett-Peters (2009) study offers some concrete strategies to overcoming that damage. Still, these studies leave room for additional research in this topic.

References

Archer, J., & Rhodes, V. (1993). The grief process and job loss: A cross-sectional study. British Journal of Psychology, 395-409.

Garrett-Peters, R. (2009). If I don’t Have to Work Anymore, Who Am I?: Job Loss and Collaborative Self-Concept Repair. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 547-583.

Joanne, S. M. (1995). Social Timing, Life Continuity, and Life Coherence: Implcationsl for Vocational Change. Social Work, 533-541.

Porcellato, L., Carmichael, F., Hulme, C., Ingham, B., & Prashar, A. (2010). Giving older workers a voice: constaints on the employment of older people in the North West of England. Wor, Employment and Society, 85-102.

Shafer, K., & Choppa, A. J. (1993). Vocational Rehabilitation of Older Displaced Workers. Journal of Rehabilitation, 35-39.

 Luther Maddy, ChristianManager.com

Filed under: Christian Manager | No Comments »

            We all have preferred personality traits and behavioral tendencies and like it or not, they are an important aspect in our ability to manage and lead.  Like our emotions, our preferred behavioral traits can exhibit themselves in two, almost completely opposite directions.  While emotions are often dichotomous, it may not be as easy to see the differing manifestations of personality traits.  Nevertheless, leaders and managers must consistently monitor their behavior to ensure the traits they are displaying will produce the desired results.

            When analyzing your personality, there are several models and tools available to determine your natural bent.  For example by using The Five Factor Model of Personality you can define five personality dimensions; Surgency or Self Confidence, Agreeableness, Dependability, Adjustment and Openness to Experience.  Our you could use the venerable Myers Briggs assessment to measure four aspects of personality.  The Hogan Personality Inventory will help you identify seven personality dimensions.  Regardless of the tool you use or have used, each is very useful in promoting self-awareness.

            After identifying your preferred personality tendencies, it should be easy to see both the good and bad manifestations of each.  For example, assume you scored very highly in the Agreeableness dimension using the Five Factor model.  (You can take a Five Factor assessment at: http://www.personalitytest.org.uk/) The agreeableness dimension determines how well you get along with others.  A high score in this dimension usually means that you are sympathetic to others, friendly, warm and approachable. 

So far so good, right?  But, agreeableness, as do all the other dimensions of personality, has two sides.  On the good side, an agreeable person is friendly and great at building relationships and teams.  However, on the other side, a strongly agreeable person may find avoiding conflict a very strong motivation.  He or she may have difficulty disciplining employees or making tough decisions that may adversely affect them.

The light and dark or good and bad side of personality traits became very clear to me as I was reading “Leadership Above the Line” by Sarah Sumner.  In this book, Sumner introduces “The People Model”, a three dimension personality model.  The three dimensions she identifies are: the Strategist, the Humanitarian, and the Diplomat. 

The Strategist thinks primarily in terms of right and wrong and is strongly concerned with the truth or the right way of accomplishing things.  The strategist can be confrontational, asks the hard questions and faces difficulties head on.  The Humanitarian strongly empathizes with others and makes caring for others a high priority.  The Diplomat is concerned about appearances and attempts to unify disagreeing factions.

 Yet, as Sumner so aptly points out, each of these dimensions has very strong dark side tendencies, which she describes as operating below the line.  For example the Strategist can become self-righteous, judgmental, critical, and even slanderous.  The Humanitarian can become people pleasing and weak, afraid to hurt the feeling of others and even fall in to gossip.  The Diplomat can become very self-absorbed and even lie to keep his or her image intact. 

In the same vein, Hogan assessment systems (seven personality dimensions), identified twelve “Dark-side” traits.  Some of these include Reserved, Cautious, and Mischievous.  The Reserved trait manifests itself in the leader becoming withdrawn and uncommunicative during times of stress.  Cautiousness causes the leader or manager to be paralyzed into inaction because he or she is fearful of making the wrong decision.  Mischievousness displays itself in a blatant disregard for rules and policies and when caught, the leader or manager feels they can talk their way out of being blamed.  You can read about all twelve of these dark-side tendencies at: http://www.saturngroup.co.nz/articles/Dark-Side-Personality-Leadership.pdf.

Just as personality assessments promote and improve our self-awareness, as managers and leaders, we should also make a conscious effort to identify our dark-side tendencies.  We need to become aware of the times we fall into the dark-side or below the line as Sumner puts it.  We can best become aware of our dark-side tendencies by asking others.  It is likely that many of us have blind spots when it comes to our dark side behaviors.  By asking our supervisor, those whom we supervise and our peers (360- degree feedback) we can become more aware of our blind spots and dark-side behaviors. 

If you find you have been exhibiting dark-side behaviors, you do not need to despair.  Psychologists tell us that behaviors can be modified at any age, with the appropriate effort.  That is very good news.  We do not have to be stuck in the dark-side or below the line.  To assist you in changing behaviors try creating a Personal Development plan with the help of your manager.  This plan should include several steps you will take to correct the offending behavior and should also include some accountability measures.

The Bible also clearly defines behaviors on both sides of the line.  For example in Galatians 5, Paul contrasts the fruit of the Spirit with the fruits of the flesh.  Paul also tells us in Romans 12 that we can be “transformed by the renewing of our mind”.  By becoming aware of our dark side tendencies and making efforts to correct them, we will become better managers and leaders as we always attempt to Lead in the Light, rather than fall below the line.

Luther Maddy, ChristianManger.com

Filed under: Christian Manager, Management | 1 Comment »

Book Overview

            Most managers do not have charismatic personalities; the kind of personalities that easily attract and potentially sway followers.  Yet, even though they may lack charisma, every manager is still responsible for motivating the employees they oversee.  Lacking charisma neither excuses nor prevents managers from motivating employees.  In The Manager as Motivator, Kroth (2007) explains that “charisma is not the leadership panacea it is often cracked up to be.  An excellent motivator doesn’t need it” (p. 5).

            “Managing people is a sacred trust” (Kroth 2007 p. 8).  Managers have the power to lift up or tear down those who work for them.  Realizing their power, managers should strive to help create an environment that promotes “Occupational Intimacy” (Kroth 2007) which includes; “Meaningful work, Enjoyable work and a Nurturing workplace” (p. 28).  Managers accomplish this primarily through their motivational efforts.

            This book is filled with examples, scenarios and practical steps non-charismatic managers can use to become better motivators.  In the pages of this book the reader will find the three qualities of motivation and how to use them; energy, direction and sustainability.  Managers will also find the four don’ts; don’t treat employees like dirt, don’t say one thing and do another, don’t micromanage or abandon employees and don’t be unfair.

            There are also plenty of “do’s” nestled in the pages of this book.  Readers will learn better ways to generate commitment and to care for their employees.  There are also several sections that clearly define setting and achieving goals.  The chapter entitled Roles and Responsibilities spells out seven managerial roles and the principles behind each. 

            The last section of this book is filled with useful assessments and development tools.  Kroth is an educator and this becomes abundantly clear thumbing through the pages of this section of his book.  This book is designed to have its readers do as well as read.  Kroth (2007) obviously included these tools near the end of this book to foster the transfer of learning process.  As he says, “This book is meant to be dog-eared, underlined, passed around, filled in, smudged with worker dirt, and…just…used” (p. 7).

            This book was written to give the non-charismatic manager the tools he or she needs to be an effective motivator.  Realizing they have the power to create exceptional or miserable work environments, managers should embrace their responsibility and help motivate their employees to reach their full potential.  As Kroth (2007) says, “inside every person is a match waiting to be lit.  Sometimes the person who can light the fire and give it kindling is the boss.  I want to see people blaze” (preface).    This book and the tools within it are designed to light motivational fires within managers, who will, in turn, light fires within their employees.

Evaluation of the book

            The Manager as Motivator is not a “motivational seminar in a book” that leaves you feeling motivated for a short time and then quickly loses its impact.  Instead, it is a book best used as a learning tool and reference.  Kroth (2007) encourages his readers near the beginning of the book, to “find a journal to capture your thoughts, ideas and reflections about motivations” (p. 8).  In this same section he also encourages readers to complete the assessments and tools as directed to in the book.  He also suggests that readers use these tools repeatedly to reassess their performance and update their goals.

            The major theme of The Manager as Motivator centers around the seven principles for motivating work which the author introduces in the Overview chapter.  These are clearly defined as; 1.  organizational commitment motivates powerfully, 2. the more you care the more they will care, 3.  the more you know about people the more you will know what they do, 4.  do what you love and the motivation will follow, 5.  belief in personal capability enables goal setting and pursuit, 6. great goals get people going,  and 7. willpower is the engine for goal pursuit (Kroth 2007, p. 32).  A model introduced on the next page (p. 33) helps display the seven principles visually.

            The author’s seven principles are divided into two broad categories, setting the environment and crossing the Rubicon.  After introducing these topics, Kroth spends much of the remaining pages of the book developing each of these principles further in a manner that consistently develops each in more detail.  As mentioned earlier, there are exercises included in the book to reinforce the concepts.

            The major theme of this book is well developed and consistent.  However, one minor formatting quirk caused some confusion as I was reading it for the first time.  The discussion of each principle often includes several pages and many subtopics.  Throughout the book, the headings of the subtopics within a principle are often larger and more visible than the principle itself.  More than once, I overlooked a change in a major principle because the previous and subsequent subheadings were more visible and appeared more important in appearance. 

            The Manager as Motivator is well researched and well written.  Kroth is a scholar, but also has considerable experience creating and implementing leadership development programs.  Kroth shares the knowledge he gathered from experience as well as research.  This is apparent as he shares many personal experiences, such as working for strong leaders and wishing they had been more motivating in his own life (preface).  He also writes about getting to a point in his own work where he no longer enjoyed it (p. 3).  During this time a motivating manger saw his potential and asked him to create a leadership development program.  This book and several other publications can probably be directly attributed to the motivation and encouragement the author received from that manager.

            The Manager as Motivator is unique in several ways.  First, it is a leadership book directed to the non-charismatic leader or manager.  It is not a leadership book directed to CEO’s or even to those who aspire to become CEO’s as are most other leadership books on the bookstore shelves today.  Instead, this book is geared to the working manager, the front line supervisor; the people who actually have the most influence on those who get the work done in an organization.

            I have read several books on management and leadership and this book holds its own among them all.  This book is also unique because of its many included assessments and tools designed to reinforce its topics.  I have read very few books on this topic that are so obviously concerned with teaching rather than simply entertaining readers.  In a perfect world I would have liked the tools and assessments referred to in the chapters to be included in those chapters rather than having them appear at the end of the book, thereby making them easier to skip during the first read.  However, as sections of interest jumped out at me as I began to reread section of this book, I had no problem finding the correct tool, activity or assessment. 

            There were many sections of this book that I found useful.  First, I was struck with the concept of managing people as being a “sacred trust” (p. 8).  I was also impressed with the concept of igniting the fire within my employees, not only in work but in their lives in general.  Realizing that I can either light or snuff out the candles of people’s lives (p. 8) creates a heavy sense of responsibility.

            I also particularly liked Kroth’s (2007) analogy of “Crossing the Rubicon” by setting the stage with this event in the life of Julius Caesar (p. 95).  In sharing this historical event, Kroth (2007) set the stage for organizational commitment, and going beyond the point of no return or “stepping off the cliff” (p. 96).  As a small business owner, I’ve jumped off many cliffs, but sometimes I try to climb back up.  The sections on commitment helped me realize the importance of staying the course once I’ve put something into action.

            I also very much enjoyed the section on goal setting and free will.  In the beginning, many efforts working toward the achievement of goals occurs through the sheer force of the will.  To sustain employee motivation and goal achievement, the need for willpower must be reduced (Kroth 2007 p. 127). 

Among the ways to do this, Kroth (2007) develops the idea of creating “habits of will” (p. 128).  In this section the author introduces the concept of creating “habits of success and habits of action” (p. 128).  As employees become successful at setting and attaining even small goals, they will develop the confidence to set and achieve higher goals.

            This goal setting section built nicely upon the “Supervising for Optimism” (p. 99) and “Self Efficacy – The belief that ‘I can’” (p. 101) sections.  These concluded with Kroth (2007) reminding us that we are expectancy managers and as such “are the lens through which your employees see their ability to complete the task” (p. 104).  As motivating managers, we are to create a climate of optimism and success in our workplaces.

            These sections coincide perfectly with Burns (2003) who says, “Nothing strengthens the motivational power of efficacy like success.  Persons with a high feeling of efficacy have great confidence in the ability to make changes or remain committed to goals, to overcome difficulties and failures, to exercise control” (p. 150).

            In building “I can” attitudes, Kroth (2007) gives several specific steps that I found very useful.  These were; “Teach them how to do it, Show them they can do it, Tell them they can do it, and get them in physical and emotional shape to do it”  (p. 107 – 108).  Once again Kroth (2007) reminds his readers that they are directly responsible for the performance of those they supervise.

            Two sections in The Manager as Motivator had a significant impact on me because of my current business situation.  The first section was “How to care when you don’t care” (p. 67).  Here Kroth (2007) gives several practical steps to take if you are in the position in which you no longer care about your work or your employees.  Among those steps are “Draw from deeper sources, Care because you have character, Act like you care, and as a last resort, Quit” (p. 68).  In a little over one year, my business has downsized from twenty employees to four.  The financial and emotional costs of this have been high to me, my family and my current and former employees.  In making many difficult decisions that have resulted in people becoming unemployed, I have come very close to the point where I do not care anymore.  This section and the commitment section helped me resolve to continue to fight to hold on to an organization into which I have invested more than thirteen years of my life.

            However, as I vow to fight for survival during this difficult time, I am also reminded that motivation and goal setting cannot control outcomes (p. 11) and sometimes after the leader has done all he or she can do, the only thing that remains is to “pray for rain” (p. 144).   That is, sometimes after your best efforts, success or failure is controlled by something other than your own efforts.  In the case of my current business, the beyond my control issues are state budgets. But, as this book reminded me, I have a responsibility to my remaining employees to motivate, lead and encourage them to reach their full potential as employees and individuals.  This will ensure a better work environment while they are working and, should the day come when they no longer are in my employ, they will have been better off for working me.

Recommendation of the book

            The Manager as Motivator is an extremely useful reference book and learning tool.  Regardless of the stage of your career or organizational role, you will likely find many useful tips and tools in this book, many more than I have discussed in this short review.  But as Kroth (2007) himself suggests, this is a book that is to be “used” rather than read.  Keep a copy of this book in your library and do just that, use it, read it and then read it again.  As you use this book you will become more motivated yourself as you realize the reasonability you have to your employees.  And in realizing this, you will be better equipped to motivate those who work with and for you.

References

Burns, James MacGregor. (2003). Transforming Leadership.  New York: Grove press

Kroth, Michael S. (2007). The Manager as Motivator. Connecticut: Praeger publishers

Luther M. Maddy III, ChristianManager.com

Filed under: Christian Manager, Reviews | No Comments »

            Many years ago, when I took my first Principles of Management course, I learned that the five functions of a manager were; planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling.  Since that time, one function, leading, has for all intents and purposes become a function that stands alone.  The position of leader and that of manager are often seen a two separate roles.

            In smaller entrepreneurial firms, the leader and manager are often one and the same.  However, in larger firms the leader is usually supported by a team of managers and perhaps even other leaders.

            The common consensus is that finding one individual who excels both as a leader and a manager is very rare.  This is probably because these two positions approach goal achievement differently.  John Kotter defines leadership as “a process whose function is change”.  Leaders motivate, inspire, develop, communicate vision, originate and challenge.  Mangers administer, maintain, control, and strive for stability.  Leaders have followers while managers have subordinates.

            Both roles, however, are crucial in any business.  Without strong leadership, the firm will not innovate or change and soon be managed into irrelevance.  Without strong management, the firm will be thrown into chaos trying to follow the vision of the leader without creating systems or procedures to get there.

            I like to differentiate the two this way:            “Leaders blaze the trail.  Managers pave it and install traffic lights.”

             Much has been made in the last few years about the dearth of leadership in the business world.  You will likely find many more books about leadership development at your local book store than you will about management development.   Most businesses have realized that to survive the rapid pace of change in today’s business climate they will need strong leadership.

            Research has shown that leadership is 1/3 genetic and 2/3 developed.  Leaders are truly made not born, which is why so much effort these days goes into leadership development.  If you’re a leader, you can become a better leader by developing your skills and adding to your knowledge base.

            However, if your skill set is that of a manager, do not despair, business cannot succeed without you. 

            There are to very good Biblical examples of both of these roles, Moses and Joseph.  Moses was certainly a leader.  He became bogged down when he tried to manage, as we have discussed in previous posts.  Joseph however was the consummate manager.  Before going to prison, he managed all of Potiphar’s affairs.  After prison his management skills saved the nation from starvation.  Both skills were necessary then and they still are today.

 If you would like some more information on this topic, here’s a great link:

http://www.changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/articles/manager_leader.htm

 Luther Maddy, ChristianManger.com

Filed under: Christian Manager, Management | 1 Comment »