Sample Question-Management Style

QUESTION

We currently have a 50 year old manager that has over 40 people reporting to him varying in age from 21 - 50. The manager is a retired very successful Captain for the US Navy and very set in his ways. We are losing people from our team due to his autocratic management style. This worked very well for him as a Captain but in the civilian world we don't know what to do. This man is extremely nice but also very tough and his motto is perfection will be tolerated.

What should we do?

ANSWER

This management style is encouraged and rewarded, so the former Captain is managing in a way that's familiar and comfortable for him.  Before the manager changes his management style, he has to see that it's in his best interests to change. Since the old style was effective for him and he knows no other approach, he won't even consider anything else until and unless he understands his autocratic style is not acceptable.

My sense is that this manager won't hear any constructive criticism from anyone "under" him in the "chain of command." He may listen to a person he considers a peer and will listen to his immediate supervisor or someone in a higher-level position. For this reason, I suggest that a representative of the team meets with either the manager's boss or the top HR person. In sharing concerns, the representative must be very specific. What is the behavior that's causing problems? What are specific examples of instances that have caused team members to be dissatisfied or disrespected? Do you know for certain that former employees resigned because of this  person? Would they be willing to say this to the manager's supervisor? Be sure to balance the criticism with areas where the manager is strong, such as his expertise or insights based on experience.

The manager would undoubtedly benefit from one-on-one coaching from a person he respects. If he is to change from the autocratic management style, he needs to have some new skills. The best coach for him would be a seasoned peer that he trusts, his supervisor, a top-level HR person  within the organization, or an external consultant.