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What do you do when senior managers are part of the problem?

Howard Lake | 1 September 2009 | Blogs

My blog this week is a real-world question and a call for your thoughts and views.  Over the years I have dealt with numerous teams across a variety of organisations and in all but the smallest minority of cases, the ‘functional’ teams have described their ‘leadership’ as part of the problem they face rather than helping to introduce new solutions.


And I should add that as a former director I’ve therefore undoubtedly exacerbated someone else’s problems too!

So what do you do when those at the top are making things harder instead of better for your immediate team or in pursuit of your specific objectives?

I haven’t found the ideal answer yet.  I’ve listened to the advice of others, tried a few ideas of my own, won some great battles and crashed and burned on others.  There is a raft of theory on what’s loosely termed upward management and I’ve even attended a course or too but I’m still to find the perfect solution to getting leaders to help me achieve, rather than slow me down.

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What do you do in these situations?  Could you share a few practical ideas to help your fellow fundraisers and communications teams?  To start the ball rolling, here are some thoughts based on real-world successes (and the odd cock-up):

When the issues are more personal, trade unions, the Citizens’ Advice Bureau, your own HR colleagues (where appropriate) can also offer excellent advice.  I don’t profess to be an expert on industrial relations, so make sure you do seek expert advice if your issues are serious.

Please do share any ideas you have to help in this difficult area. I will collate any information gathered for a full article to share with as wide an audience as possible.

 

Kevin is the Founder of Bottom Line Ideas

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