Mature. Immature. Premature.
I have been
pondering over these three words, mostly due to my exposure to the clash of the
mature and the immature.
In my experience you find mature or evolved organisations (the internal workings, the people behaviour, the culture of a business). And then you find those businesses that are infant-like. Immature.
The thing
with culture is that it is very much driven by the leaders, similar to a family
set-up. Depending on the values and style of the parents/leaders, they will
consciously or not decide on the accepted behaviours and norms, creating a
mature or immature (or something in between) work space.
So where
does the conflict come from? We are after all adults... I wish!
As much as
it is a daily struggle to help my kids see that it is their responsibility to
look after their stuff, do their homework and chores, in essence 'take
ownership', it is a very similar challenge managers face.
And just for
the record, in the adult world maturity is not necessarily related to age,
experience or qualifications. It is a mind-set.
Also, I know
that 'immature' organisations can really frustrate 'mature' staff. In these
environments the leaders set autocratic and controlling parameters. They say
(or think) things like: "You are here to do as you are told" - read:
"Do not think, ask questions, or use initiative."
The result
in the long run? A highly frustrated, under-utilised workforce.
Yes, I know
the risk of over-exposing staff prematurely is just as bad. Timing is a
challenge. It is very tricky, maybe even an art, knowing when to let go. To
trust. Like with kids, you have to step back at some point, and also let them
face the consequences or maybe, with a little luck, let them enjoy the success.
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