managingyourboss(英文版)-全文預(yù)覽

　　

【正文】 ion manager never fully understood how the new boss39。s objectives were. As a result, he ended up taking actions that were actually at odds with the president39。s long suits and blind spots? What is the preferred style of working? Does your boss like to get information through memos, formal meetings, or phone calls? Does he or she thrive on conflict or try to minimize it? Without this information, a manager is flying blind when dealing with the boss, and unnecessary conflicts, misunderstandings, and problems are inevitable.In one situation we studied, a topnotch marketing manager with a superior performance record was hired into a pany as a vice president to straighten out the marketing and sales problems. The pany, which was having financial difficulties, had recently been acquired by a larger corporation. The president was eager to turn it around and gave the new marketing vice president free rein at least initially. Based on his previous experience, the new vice president correctly diagnosed that greater market share was needed for the pany and that strong product management was required to bring that about. Following that logic, he made a number of pricing decisions aimed at increasing highvolume business.When margins declined and the financial situation did not improve, however, the president increased pressure on the new vice president. Believing that the situation would eventually correct itself as the pany gained back market share, the vice president resisted the pressure.When by the second quarter, margins and profits had still failed to improve, the president took direct control over all pricing decisions and put all items on a set level of margin, regardless of volume. The new vice president began to find himself shut out by the president, and their relationship deteriorated. In fact, the vice president found the president39。s priorities are consistent with organizational needs, and in securing the resources the manager needs to perform well. Yet some managers need to see themselves as practically selfsufficient, as not needing the critical information and resources a boss can supply.Many managers, like Bonnevie, assume that the boss will magically know what information or help their subordinates need and provide it to them. Certainly, some bosses do an excellent job of caring for their subordinates in this way, but for a manager to expect that from all bosses is dangerously unrealistic. A more reasonable expectation for managers to have is that modest help will be forthing. After all, bosses are only human. Most really effective managers accept this fact and assume primary responsibility for their own careers and development. They make a point of seeking the information and help they need to do a job instead of waiting for their bosses to provide it.In light of the foregoing, it seems to us that managing a situation of mutual dependence among fallible human beings requires the following:1. You have a good understanding of the other person and yourself, especially regarding strengths, weaknesses, work styles, and needs. 2. You use this information to develop and manage a healthy working relationship one that is patible with both people39。s career was, at least temporarily, disrupted. Many less costly cases similar to this probably occur regularly in all major corporations, and the cumulative effect can be very destructive.Misreading the BossSubordinate Relationship People often dismiss stories like the one we just related as being merely cases of personality conflict. Because two people can on occasion be psychologically or temperamentally incapable of working together, this can be an apt description. But more often, we have found, a personality conflict is only a part of the problem sometimes a very small part.Bonnevie did not just have a different personality from Gibbons, he also made or had unrealistic assumptions and expectations about the very nature of bosssubordinate relationships. Specifically, he did not recognize that his relationship to Gibbons involved mutual dependence between two fallible human beings. Falling to recognize this, a manager typically either avoids trying to manage his or her relationship with a boss or manages it ineffectively.Some people behave as if their bosses were not very dependent on them. They fail to see how much the boss needs their help and cooperation to do his or her job effectively. These people refuse to acknowledge that the boss can be severely hurt by their actions and needs cooperation, dependability, and honesty from them.Some people see themselves as not very dependent on their bosses. They gloss over how much help and information they need from the boss in order to perform their own jobs well. This superficial view is particularly damaging when a manager39。s decision to use a new type of machinery to make the new product。21 / 21Managing Your Boss A quartercentury ago, John Gabarro and John Kotter introduced a powerful new lens through which to view the managerboss relationship: one that recognized the mutual dependence of the participants. The fact is, bosses need cooperation, reliability, and honesty from their direct reports. Managers, for their part, rely on bosses for making connections with the rest of the pany, for setting priorities, and for obtaining critical resources. If the relationship between you and your boss is rocky, then it is you who must begin to manage it. When you take the time to cultivate a productive working relationship by understanding your boss39。t really understand what happened. This much is known, however: While the pany was bringing out a major new product a process that required sales, engineering, and manufacturing groups to coordinate decisions very carefully a whole series of misunderstandings and bad feelings developed between Gibbons and Bonnevie.For example, Bonnevie claims Gibbons was aware of and had accepted Bonnevie39。s inability to manag