“I want this to be done at any cost, I don’t care how!” “If you can’t do it, we will get someone else to do it!” “Shape up or Ship out!” “I am not here to solve your problems!”,
Do these words sound familiar? Have you come across situations when you have seen bosses who are mostly loud, on the edge of their emotions and create threatening environment at work? Some may call this behaviour as aggression. Alongside the aggression, such managers may exhibit few other behaviours. They may disregard other’s opinions or be ruthless in communication and behaviour. Leader with such behaviour would be devious, use volume instead of reason, insult and use fear or threat to get the work done. They may end up being undesirable for subordinates and peers. Aggression itself is not a negative behaviour, but the way in which it gets demonstrated matters.
Won’t it be interesting to know as to why certain people behave in this manner? Often it is seen that people who are aggressive have reasons for that. They may have been victims of aggressive behaviour during childhood or early career life and as a result unknowingly picked it as best practice. Another case could be that such person is a victim of low self esteem or superiority complex and demanding respect. Often such managers follow theory X(Theory X is a behaviour where there is a constant need to supervise, punish or penalise employees to get better output). In their managerial roles, such people create a lot of unpleasantness in the work environment. Consequently, probability of anxiety and distrust among the team members is high, they may not be able to take decisions on their own, and may resort to appease the boss. As a result, long term goals may get sacrificed. Who would excel in such an environment? What can be done to curb the aggressiveness? According to me, responsive approach is appropriate. When we look up for meaning of the word responsive, we find receptive, open to suggestions, approachable, sensitive, empathetic etc. as alternatives words. Well, all the above does bring in some energy and freshness, doesn’t it?
Let us now look at the qualities of a manager who adopts responsive approach.
“A mature manager needs to be in control of emotions and show resilience. He manages anger and apprehension and think with clarity during testing times”
The advantages of being responsive are far reaching. There is overall positivity, mutual respect and an environment of trust and confidence in the team. Such teams are able to take better decisions and are object and goal oriented. A mature manager needs to be in control of emotions and show resilience. He manages anger and apprehension and think with clarity during testing times. The manager resolves conflict and creates an environment of cooperation. This is essential for making appropriate decisions and inspiring the team members. The team looks up to such managers for guidance and support. Despite all this there may be situations where things can go out of hands. What approach do managers take during such times?
Here are some practices used by managers who adopt responsive approach.
As Peter F Drucker says, “Managing yourself requires taking responsibility for relationships.” Managers need to do a balancing act. They need to meet organisational goals without jeopardizing the work environment. Let’s look at responsiveness as a Mantra for Managerial Success and derive the desired results.
