Steering Through Managerial Undercurrents

Reading time: 15 minutes...but you will not regret

This article is part II of the topic of how managers handle the formal structure in organizations. In the previous one - Structures Keep People Together - we approached the subtle ways in which managers, often inadvertently, foster informal structures that exist parallel to, and sometimes in conflict with, the official organizational framework. These unintentional shifts, driven by a myriad of factors out of which the lack of time and the consequent lack of awareness, can significantly impact both the effectiveness and morale within an organization.

However, there exists another facet to this phenomenon – the intentional creation and maintenance of informal structures by managers. Unlike the inadvertent formations discussed earlier, these are strategic or personally motivated shifts instigated by those in leadership roles. This article aims to explore two primary scenarios:

• Firstly, where higher-level managers intentionally stress the current structure to align with a strategic vision,

• Secondly, where managers of any rank might manipulate structures to serve personal agendas.

   

The distinction between these motivations is crucial and is given by the intention of the respective manager since the difference in intention can lead to vastly different outcomes for both individuals and organizations.

Therefore, as we navigate through these two broad scenarios, it's essential to understand the intricacies and implications of such actions. Whether driven by strategic foresight or by personal objectives and agendas, the way managers sculpt and interact with the organizational structure can have lasting effects on the people within it and the company's trajectory. Without pretending it is exhaustive, this exploration aims not only to shed light on these practices but also to offer actionable strategies for those finding themselves navigating such complex organizational dynamics.

Although I am writing having present in mind a target audience composed of early, middle and senior managers, all technical experts who have an eye for a management career will benefit from reading this article.

1. Strategic Vision-Driven Change

At the heart of this strategic approach is the introduction of a parallel unofficial structure, an intentional move by a manager or even by higher management, designed to test and ultimately enhance the organization's resilience.

This is particularly evident when existing leadership dynamics reveal a gap or a 'no man's land' between their functions, indicating a disconnect that can hinder effective decision-making and progress. In such scenarios, the new structure acts as a catalyst for revealing hidden potential and leadership voids within the existing hierarchy. Last but not least, it acts as a hypothesis testing ground or as a pilot project from which management learns what is working, what is not working, and the impact it might have on current productivity, people’s morale and- depending on the scale of the test - on the organizational culture at large. Lastly, management offers an in-house opportunity for other leaders to emerge and challenge the status quo.

To illustrate, consider a scenario where a company faces stagnation due to rigid departmental silos. The senior management, recognizing this, might initiate project-based teams that cut across these traditional boundaries. In the beginning, these teams can be unofficial, i.e. not officially drawn into the organisational structure, often led by mid-level managers or even by non-managerial staff, and operate with a degree of autonomy not typically found in the standard hierarchical structure but allowed and enforced by the senior management. This strategic move does two things: firstly, it puts existing leadership under a microscope, challenging them to adapt and collaborate beyond their usual scope. Secondly, and perhaps more crucially, it creates opportunities for latent leadership talents to emerge from within the ranks.

In this intentionally created parallel structure, employees who were previously confined to their departmental roles are now given the freedom to showcase their skills and leadership potential. For instance, a mid-level manager might demonstrate exceptional skill in steering a cross-departmental team towards achieving a complex goal, revealing a capacity for higher-level leadership. Similarly, a team member who previously was not part of the management staff could exhibit and demonstrate unforeseen talents in negotiation or strategic planning, qualities that might have remained obscured in the regular structure.

This strategy of introducing a parallel structure is not merely about uncovering hidden talents; it's also a test of the existing leadership's ability to navigate and adapt to overlapping authorities and responsibilities. It's a revealing process that can sometimes expose a void where current leaders are either unwilling or unable to bridge functional gaps, thereby creating a space for new leadership to emerge and thrive.

Such strategic restructuring requires careful planning and communication. The higher management needs to articulate the purpose and expected outcomes of these changes clearly and assume full accountability and responsibility for making it happen. This transparency ensures that any new work or communication process that is born with the new unofficial structure is explained, discussed, seen and finally accepted not as a challenge to existing authority, but as a growth opportunity for the organization and its people. One needs to also understand that building transparency is not a one-off event, it is a process that is rolled by all participants of the involved structures whether official or unofficial until the new way of working stabilizes and becomes the norm. Only then the new structure will be added or introduced in the org chart.

One should not be surprised that the final form, role and responsibility of the new structure that got into the org chart is different from the initial settings. It is normal: the entire testing period gave additional and valuable information about how the respective structure operates at the optimum level at the organizational level and management took those decisions to allow for those changes to become legitimate.

Through this approach, organizations can not only identify and nurture emergent leaders but also foster a culture of adaptability and continuous improvement, crucial for thriving in today's dynamic business environment.

To emerge as a new leader in such a context can be a challenge. Technical knowledge is important and will always count as your foundation. But among those people with strong technical foundations, will be encouraged and preferred the ones able to navigate people relationships. By navigating I mean not only not alienating the relationships in place, but people able in the short term to:

• Create and build trustworthiness with other key stakeholders in the company or outside it
• Initiate actions that made them visible and put them under the spot
• Speak to and influence within the groups of known and unknown colleagues and stakeholders
• Bring up first the bad news and work solutions with the others instead of finger-pointing
• Remain accountable for every of their action and do not take it personally when higher management criticises their actions (because they will, that’s a given)
• Act open and flexible, set boundaries for others and themselves for the success of the project
• Make their managers feel safe, smart and intelligent without embarrassing themselves of
• Learn fast to conduct respectful confrontations and to keep others accountable for their actions.

Higher managers will look at how you use your technical knowledge, and what kind of impact you create in terms of business results and the quality of the relationships you can forge. In my experience, I see many talented technical people who cannot accept or do not want to accept this reality but aspire for a management position or a higher-ranking management position. Your accession will start once you become aware and accept to display your progress not only in the technical field as an expert but also in the above-mentioned directions, both requiring full maturity and personal development. Your senior managers already know your technical background is decently enough to stand your future growth: both personal and technical. Do not forget: coaching is key for how fast you will adapt and create an acceptable response to the requirements of your managers or stakeholders.

2. Personal Agendas in Management

While the strategic restructuring of an organization can be a powerful tool for positive change, there's a contrasting scenario where the manipulation of structures is driven by the personal agendas of managers, irrespective of their rank. This situation can be more insidious, as the intentions are not aligned with the organization's broader goals but are instead focused on individual gain or protection. Such manoeuvres can create significant disruptions within the organizational fabric, affecting morale, efficiency, and even the ethical climate of the workplace.

The first example of a personal agenda is the Hiding Weakness scenario. In this case, a manager may feel insecure about their capabilities or decision-making skills. To mask these perceived shortcomings, they might decentralize decision-making authority or create unnecessary layers of bureaucracy. This approach allows them to deflect responsibility and scrutiny, effectively obscuring their weaknesses. The result can be a convoluted organizational structure where accountability is diluted, and decision-making becomes sluggish.

_{Imagine an IT department manager in a non-IT-related company with more than 20 years with the company, who lost touch with the fast-changing IT technology and feels insecure about his technical decision-making abilities. Instead of seeking additional support, he decides to distribute the responsibility for important CAPEX decisions to several subordinate teams inviting also a few relevant specialists from the company to be part of each team participating in the assessment exercise, but without providing clear direction or support. When discussing the choice of new technology for a major project, instead of evaluating the options and providing guidance, the manager asks each team to propose separate solutions, promising to 'consider' all proposals'. This approach leads to confusion among the teams, who work in isolation, without a common vision. Accidentally, the in-house technical experts find out about each other's involvement and realize they support different solutions, each one backed in their view by 'solid technical facts'. As not uncommon in the world of experts, the two start an unmoderated debate, leading to resentment which is felt also in how the two people continue to collaborate daily in their normal work. Not only that, the IT manager avoids committing to any concrete decision masking his lack of confidence and technical knowledge, but the consequences spilt also into other places in the organization. This behaviour delays the progress of the project but also creates frustration among the employees, who feel deprived of an authentic leader and clear direction.}

A second instance involves Power Consolidation. Here, a manager may create silos within the organization, intentionally restricting information flow and collaboration between teams. By doing so, they centralize control and keep themselves indispensable as the primary conduit of information and decisions. This tactic not only hampers the organization's agility but can also breed a toxic culture of dependency and mistrust.

_{Imagine a consulting firm that just hired a new mid-level manager. This manager likes to feel in control and his natural tendency is to centralize everything in his control. Therefore, what he is doing is to start to consolidate his power by creating barriers between different teams. Although the organizational structure calls for collaboration between departments to improve the quality of services offered to clients, this manager starts to restrict the flow of information. He insists that all communications between teams go through him, under the pretext of maintaining control over the quality and coherence of information. Practically, he becomes the central point through which all requests and information pass, thereby limiting the teams' ability to work independently. This mode of operation not only slows down the work process but also creates an unhealthy dependence of the teams on the manager. Colleagues begin to feel that they cannot advance or make decisions without his approval, leading to decreased morale and frustrations. Meanwhile, the manager strengthens his position and importance within the company, presenting himself as indispensable for coordinating and streamlining processes. Although this behaviour consolidates his power in the short term, it can have negative long-term effects on the organizational culture and the efficiency of the company.}

 

The third example is Avoiding Accountability. In this scenario, a manager might introduce complex, non-transparent processes, making it difficult to trace decisions back to their source. This tactic is often employed to avoid being held accountable for controversial or unpopular decisions. The result is an organizational structure that lacks clarity and encourages a culture of evasion, where employees are unsure of decision-making pathways and responsibilities.

_{In a project-based engineering company, an engineering director faces increasing pressure to rapidly deliver new, innovative products. To avoid taking responsibility in case of potential failures or delays, he implements an extremely fragmented and complicated reporting system for development projects. Each stage of the development process is divided into multiple sub-stages, each with its own set of reports and necessary approvals. As a consequence, the normal process of review and testing is divided into so many segments that it becomes difficult to track actual progress and identify who is responsible for certain technical decisions. In the event of problems or delays, the engineering director can hide behind this procedural maze, pointing to the complicated processes as the cause of the confusion and avoiding personal responsibility for any shortcomings. This mode of operation not only might add unnecessary layers of bureaucracy but also inhibits the efficiency and speed of responsiveness of the project team. Engineers may feel discouraged and limited in their creativity, given they feel that every step of their work process is subject to excessive scrutiny and approval. In the long term, this management style can lead to an organizational culture where innovation is suppressed, and team morale significantly decreases.}

Many personal agendas appear in managers’ lives as the result of a lack of resilience, lack of self-confidence, and a perception that something is missing. Understand here your tendencies to create personal agendas.

Each of the above scenarios underscores the potential harm that can arise when personal agendas drive the creation and manipulation of organizational structures. Still, these three examples are just a few of what 'personal agenda' can mean when the manager displays signs of a loss aversion mindset.

Managers must be ready to encounter such behaviours as they climb the organizational hierarchy whether these include competing with peers (1) to be recognized as crucial to the organization, perhaps to win rewards like a sponsored MBA,  (2) to ensure they are credited for successful decisions or, conversely, distance themselves from unsuccessful ones (3) to promote their protegees into key roles to strengthen their power or (4) to manipulating stakeholders perceptions to highlight their contributions, often through frequent and conspicuous self-promotion. 

Whether you like it or not, whether you want it or not, whether you agree with them or not, such things are part of human behaviour and it is a given they will happen. However, unlike the case of strategic restructuring for organizational benefit, these actions prioritize the individual's needs over and sometimes to the detriment of the collective good and often lead to a workplace that is less efficient, less transparent, and potentially less ethical. Recognizing and addressing these behaviours is crucial for maintaining a healthy organizational environment where every member can contribute to their fullest potential. 

Assuming your goodwill and intention as a manager who has in focus both the development of the company and your legitimate desire to grow, you need to know how to step in and act so that you are not harmed in the process. 

3. Managing Interacting with Managers with Personal Agendas

When facing a manager with a personal agenda, it's crucial to navigate the situation tactfully to maintain your credibility and the team's morale. Here are 15 strategies to effectively manage this challenging dynamic:

1. Prioritize Transparency: Advocate for open communication channels within your team and with senior management to foster a culture of transparency.

2. Strengthen Team Unity: Build a strong team spirit that can collectively resist undue influence and remain focused on organizational goals.

3. Seek Mentorship: Consult with external mentors or advisors who can provide unbiased guidance and support.

4. Document Decision Processes: Keep detailed records of decisions and rationales to establish accountability and clarity.

5. Promote Ethical Standards: Champion ethical practices within your team, setting a precedent for behaviour and decision-making.

6. Develop Conflict Resolution Skills: Equip yourself and your team with the skills to address and resolve conflicts constructively.

7. Maintain Professional Boundaries: Set clear professional boundaries with the senior manager to protect your team from negative impacts.

8. Engage in Constructive Dialogue: Openly discuss challenges with the senior manager, focusing on solutions and organizational interests.

9. Leverage Organizational Policies: Utilize existing organizational policies and procedures as a framework for addressing and resolving issues.

10. Foster a Feedback Culture: Encourage a culture where feedback is regularly exchanged, including upward feedback to senior management.

11. Cultivate Resilience: Build resilience within yourself and your team to better handle and adapt to challenging situations.

12. Seek HR Support: When necessary, involve HR to mediate or provide guidance on how to handle complex situations.

13. Empower Your Team: Empower team members to make decisions and take ownership, reducing dependency on the senior manager.

14. Network and Build Alliances: Network with peers and other managers to build alliances and gain broader perspectives.

15. Stay Focused on Goals: Keep the team focused on their goals and deliverables, ensuring that personal agendas do not derail their objectives.

These strategies have in common the fact that all require you to hold strong confidence in yourself and to be resilient. The funny thing is not all confidences are equal. You may be very confident in designing a very technically complex or even in managing a dozen people in doing it, but then lack the confidence to sustain your design in front of people with more organizational power or in front of the company’s client.

Because you grow confident about a thing only when you do it again and again and see satisfactory results growing out of your decisions. Only when you have walked that road yourself and become aware of what is present on that road, of how you have handled the challenges, of all those moments when you thought you had been thrown away off the road, and you peacefully accepted and were satisfied with who you became while travelling that road, only then your confidence will grow.

Still, building confidence and resilience is a process. As with all processes, it takes time. Yes, you do have potential. But whenever your expectations about how fast this process should take you, enter into a conflict with reality, then your success will be dictated by your degree of resilience: your ability to reset fast the feeling of disappointment, discouragement, or lack of motivation and get back on track.

It is always soothing or comfortable to find enemies and project ourselves in the shoes of a victim or to postpone, avoid, settle for less, hide in a cave, or run away towards greener pastures only to realize that at a certain point, we will bump into similar situations and story gets repeated. But it comes a moment when CHANGE becomes the only valid option because we finally see that it is us maintaining that comfort. In that moment we find our power and act.

It is in this context that coaching has a paramount impact, particularly in times when managers face ambiguity and resistance from their peers or senior management, lacks clarity of what is to be done, and with intention decide to work on themselves. Coaching can be a powerful tool in navigating these complex dynamics, offering support, guidance, and a fresh perspective that is often needed to see beyond immediate challenges.

Coaching plays a crucial role in building resilience, a quality that is foundational to effectively applying the solutions listed above. In the face of resistance or a lack of clarity, it is resilience that enables managers to maintain their focus, adapt to changing circumstances, and persist in their efforts to manage the situation proactively and constructively. It helps cultivate this resilience by providing a space for reflection, learning, and personal growth, and it equips managers with the emotional and mental fortitude to handle stress, uncertainty, and adversity – all of which are inherent in dealing with complex interpersonal dynamics.

Without resilience, none of the 15 solutions above can be fully effective. Resilience is not just about enduring difficult situations but also about learning from them, emerging stronger, and being better prepared for future challenges. It's about developing the ability to bounce back from setbacks and to approach problems with creativity and optimism.

Coaching also aids managers in developing a deeper understanding of their personal preferences, their own leadership style, strengths, and areas for improvement. Such self-awareness is critical when navigating scenarios where personal agendas are at play. It enables managers to approach these situations with a balanced perspective, ensuring that their responses are measured, strategic, and aligned with their values and the organization's goals.

The combination of practical strategies and the development of resilience through coaching forms a robust approach to dealing with the challenges posed by managers with personal agendas. It's through this dual approach of strategic action and personal development that managers can not only survive but thrive in the face of such challenges, leading their teams with integrity and effectiveness while feeling at peace.

Conclusions

Navigating the complex waters of organizational structures and leadership dynamics, especially in the presence of senior managers with personal agendas, demands both tact and resilience. The strategies outlined in this article are designed to empower managers at various levels to maintain their credibility and effectively manage their teams in these challenging scenarios.

It's essential to remember that while the impact of a senior manager's agenda can be profound, the collective strength and integrity of a well-led team can often mitigate these effects. By fostering a culture of transparency, ethical standards, and open communication, managers can build a resilient team capable of weathering such challenges. Moreover, documenting decision processes, engaging in constructive dialogue, and leveraging organizational policies are critical steps in ensuring accountability and maintaining a healthy work environment.

As leaders, our goal should not only be to navigate these situations but also to learn from them, using these experiences to grow both personally and professionally. Each challenge presents an opportunity to reinforce and act on the values we hold dear and to strengthen our leadership skills. By staying focused on our goals and empowering our teams, we can ensure that the organizational vision is not clouded by individual agendas.

The journey of leadership is fraught with complexities, but it's through navigating these challenges that we truly develop our capabilities as effective and ethical leaders. I end with my invitation for you to embrace these opportunities to lead with integrity, inspire your teams, and contribute positively to your organizations. In case you are interested in growing resilience, getting rid of an unuseful personal agenda or having a solid guide external to your organization to discuss organizational dynamics and find your solutions, I am here to support you.

Alina Florea

Your Management Performance Coach

 Summary:

The article delves into the complexities of navigating organizational structures, particularly focusing on the intentional creation and manipulation of informal structures by managers. It discusses two primary scenarios: the strategic use of these structures to align with a company's vision and the exploitation of these structures for personal gain. Strategic restructuring involves introducing parallel structures to reveal hidden potential and leadership gaps, fostering adaptability and innovation. In contrast, personal agendas can lead to destructive behaviours like creating silos, avoiding accountability, or masking incompetencies, which can harm organizational efficiency and morale.

In the realm of personal agendas, managers often engage in various tactics for self-preservation or advancement. These include decentralizing decision-making to obscure their inadequacies, centralizing control to become indispensable, or introducing complex processes to evade accountability. Such actions, driven by a lack of resilience or self-confidence, prioritize individual needs over collective goals, leading to inefficient, opaque, and potentially unethical workplace environments. The article emphasizes the importance of resilience and strategic thinking for managers to effectively handle these challenges and foster a healthy organizational culture. It also highlights the role of coaching in growing resilience and awareness and becoming faster and properly equipped to handle the 'murky waters without becoming the 'prey of sharks' or of yourself.