Ducks In A Row: Ultimatums Trash Culture
by Miki Saxon
As you probably know there are hundreds of ways to mess up a culture and a lack of authenticity is one of the big ones.
There’s a lot about written about authenticity, but are you aware that one of the quickest ways to announce your lack of authenticity is to issue ultimatums?
Thousands of times a day, day after day, bosses in every industry, in companies both large and small, issue “or else” ultimatums, sometimes without even realizing it.
These threats aren’t always direct (Do it or start looking.), more often, they are subtle (“I expect employees who work here to be team players.”), but the threat is there: Do X if you want to keep your job.
Obviously, this is not only atrocious management, since
- threats are tremendously debilitating to those receiving them, often costing them the confidence to do their job; but
- the manger who uses threats loses the most—the credibility to run the organization.
Bad enough, but beyond the direct effect of the threats, there is a ripple effect that is far worse—the seeding of a self-propagating culture of intimidation—as with hazing people start thinking, “I’ll do it to you because the person above did it to me [and I want to get even].”
Ultimatums kill creativity, innovation, motivation, caring, ownership, in fact, everything it takes to create a culture that allows a company to successfully compete in today’s economy.
If intentional you need to look long and hard at your MAP and decide if that’s who are and how you want to be, then change—or not.
When not intentional, ultimatums are often the result of poor communications but they can be stopped—the choice is yours and yours alone.
If you do it you can change it.
Your comments—priceless
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Image credit: flickr
February 26th, 2009 at 5:22 am
Sometimes managers have to check on the status of a project though and occasionally prod along lagging employees, so what’s a tactful way to do that? I’m thinking of open discussion about “I hope X happens (i.e. hope you come through), but if it doesn’t happen, then here’s Plan B. Please let me know if we need to implement Plan B – I’ll understand and be happy to do it.” Any manager should have a good Plan B anyway, and no, it doesn’t have to involve punishment for the employee who failed to deliver. And of course, in such a scenario, try to open a dialogue on any challenges in work/life that are impacting their ability to deliver the requested results. Maybe they’re just overloaded with projects.
February 26th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Hi Hayli, It seems that more and more people these days confuse accountability and consequences with ultimatums and punishment.
Blowing a reasonable project deadline that was agreed upon at the start has consequences. Any manager who “hopes” something will happen is being unfair to her people.
Frequently the difference between consequences and ultimatums is found in the words, presentation and intent.
Consider the following two scenarios:
For which manager would you rather work?
February 26th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
[…] tips: Speaking of unconstructive ways of dealing with disagreement, please see what Miki Saxon has to say about ultimatums and corporate […]