Associations Now July Case Study: Caught in the Gears
One of the biggest challenges in beginning a new job as a manager is getting to know your new team. Sometimes your management style is very different from what they're used to--and sometimes their work styles are very different than what you're used to. It can be a great learning experience for all concerned, or it can lead to a lot of frustration.
In this month's Associations Now case study, "Caught in the Gears," a new CEO is struggling to find the best approach to working with a management team and staff that appear to be caught in a culture of conflict. But is his approach making things better or worse? (And is conflict in the workplace really a problem?)
Cedric Calhoun, executive director of the Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers, and Jamie Notter, a conflict resolution expert (and blogger), kindly shared their thoughts in two commentaries on the case study. I learned a lot from both of them.
What do you think? Should the CEO in this case study continue down the path he's started, or is he headed for disaster? The full text of the article and Jamie and Cedric's commentaries is available online, as well as in the print edition of this month's Associations Now.
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Comments
Great commentary, as always. One problem, though, is that the CEO appears reluctant to have to deal with staff conflict. Managing staff dynamics, though, is a very big part of being a CEO.
Also, staff reorganization (including firings) should not be seen as a last resort - and it's not a sign of management or communication failure.
A CEO has no obligation to retain the people already there. He needs to make an early assessment of staffing needs (before acquiring too much personal knowledge that could skew his thinking) and make adjustments, if necessary, quickly. That way, the remaining staff can continue their tasks and not worry about losing their jobs.
The previous CEO may have thought staff changes were necessary but didn't have the desire or the skill to implement them.
This CEO appears to feel like he is in someone else's shop. But it's his shop, now, and he doesn't have to run it the way it's always been run before.
Posted by: David M. Patt, CAE | July 1, 2008 5:51 PM
David, thank you for your great insights, as always! I really appreciate your perspective on this CEO's dilemma.
There's an article coming up in the August issue of Associations Now that approaches the issue of "feeling like you're in someone else's shop" from a slightly different perspective--focusing on execs that are hired to follow long-tenured, even legendary, CEOs. (David will be familiar with the story, as it features some great advice from him for incoming CEOs.)
If you're interested in how a new CEO can handle that kind of difficult dynamic, keep an eye out for the August issue!
Posted by: Lisa Junker | July 2, 2008 8:35 AM
For those who might be interested in more commentary on this month's case study, Cindy Butts has posted her thoughts on the AE on the Verge blog.
Posted by: Lisa Junker | July 7, 2008 10:06 AM