The study of language is fascinating to read since languages are considered living things. English as its spoken has evolved to accommodate new words to reflect shifts in technology (such as 'WiFi') and popular culture (who hasn't heard of the famous phrase 'wardrobe malfunction' by now?) to name a few. So what does language have to do with being a manager?
Every industry has its own jargon and the current words in the vocabulary of a manager reflect that. Performance management was unheard of some time ago yet is now the indispensable tool that guides each quarter's personnel assessment. As the world has gone more high tech, so do we need to become more high touch as the homogeneity of technology makes it more apparent that people, especially good people, are the differentiator in organizational success.
We have likewise shifted our paradigm of people managing from 'skill' to 'talent'. This means that we no longer perceive our employees as people needing just training to survive in the workplace, but as individuals possessing unique strengths and innate qualities that are to be encouraged and supported.
The bestseller lists show us how to lead, inspire and foster results in the American workplace as well as in other countries. Words like 'coach' and 'leader', which used to be used exclusively in sports and outside the corporate scene are now interchangeable with 'boss' and 'CEO'. I've listed some popular non-business influences we use in our interactions with the people we lead.
The Manager as Coach
This is perhaps the most popular field we borrow from today, and it's not uncommon to see a new slew of would-be bestsellers from the world of sports, jockeying for positions into the management aisles of your favorite bookstore... alongside other books in the leadership genre. There are many lessons business leaders can learn from the world of sports. People get that they need to be team players instead of one-off superstars in the workplace. We get succinct, pithy phrases put up in our hallways talking about focus, being in your A game, facing your fears and what it takes to stay on the top. From a sports/coaching perspective, the performance manager has many useful metaphors in how to deal with failure in the workplace by borrowing Lance Armstrong's story of his recovery from cancer. Former Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson showed us how to harness the some of the most temperamental and talented personalities in basketball, and lead them to be one of basketball's greatest teams of all time.
Takeaway: There are no shortcuts to success. Practice, dedication and teamwork get us to our goal.
The Manager as Martial Artist
Green tea and soft wind chimes may not come to mind as something that is conducive to the multicultural, fast-paced and Blackberried-out world we live in. However, if you look closely at many terms we use today, you'll uncover the rippling streams of ancient wisdom flowing through your quarterly reports as well as last week's motivational email from the CEO. You don't need to be a Star Wars geek to know Master Yoda's famous phrase: There is no try. You either do, or do not. As a performance manager, knowing when to be in the Now, or in the moment matters to you. Customer relations people are especially aware of this: People don't care about what you know until they know that you care. Such axiomatic haikus of wisdom are usually couched in paradoxical phrases (What is the sound of one hand clapping?) and bespeak wisdom and some deep underlying certainty that there is a force greater than us that guides the universe. As a talent manager who borrows from the martial arts, we must know when to be firm and when to let our students make their own mistakes. Wax on, wax off.
Takeaway: Things don't always have to make sense in business. Sometimes you just need to go with the flow and follow your intuition.
The Manager as Warrior
Jack Welch may perhaps be the best example of this-when asked what he regretted about his term in GE, his reply was something to the effect of "I should have moved quicker than I did". Mr. Welch was legendary for the speed of his execution and for THE epitome of streamlining, profitability and astounding growth quarter after quarter to say that left many people flabbergasted at how he would have handled their company. Jack's legacy has left us with many battlefield metaphors to use as managers. We 'revolutionize' how we do things in the workplace. A capable manager slash warrior is keen to the competition and makes tactical maneuvers to stay three steps ahead of the competition. The performance manager fosters his troops' cunning by encouraging strategic thinking, crafting exit strategies, positioning their niche and protecting their flanks with triple redundant systems in case of failure. Oh and by the way, to the warrior, failure is not an option.
Takeaway: Dealing with conflict in the workplace is part of any survival toolkit one must have at all levels in the organization. Whether internal or external, a warrior is always on the lookout for ways and technology to maximize her strengths and stack the odds in her favor.
These are three oft-used areas for leadership metaphors which many managers borrow from today. Depending on what our situation calls for, we strive to wear as many hats as possible in order to get the best out of the people we lead. In the past, leadership was usually perceived as a one way street. That is, if a person wasn't performing, then it was an employee issue, not a leadership issue. However the paradigm for leadership has evolved into a more natural exchange; now both sides are taken into perspective, and the current trend of thought is that the responsibility leans heavier on the manager. Being a successful people manager now requires well rounded people with the ability to adapt as needed to the needs of the workplace. The limits of traditional business language seem to have reached its limits and how people have evolved is to borrow words and ideas from other areas of human interest. I think that this is a fascinating thing to watch. I'll be on the lookout for the next big metaphor to influence business terminology. Just please don't let it be from reality tv.
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