As a manager, I have experimented with a number of management theories and strategies. I have tried micromanagement, delegation and empowerment. I've experimented with Theory X management techniques - "crack the whip" - and Theory Y techniques - "you love your job and want to work so I'll just leave you alone." I've had resounding success with some techniques and dismal failures with others. What works for one project or team may not work for another.
In an ongoing attempt to see if there is one single management technique that can be used across the board, I've studied management theorists, philosophers, psychologists, military leaders and most recently man's best friend - the dog. Specifically, the sheepdog. And while it may sound strange that a sheepdog could teach us anything about management, in reality they may be a stellar example of an effective team leader. By looking at how a sheepdog interacts with its flock, we managers may be able to learn a few things about how to herd our own “cats”.
When you watch a sheepdog, the first think you notice is that the sheepdog does not try to manage each sheep individually. Instead of micromanaging individuals, the sheepdog focuses on moving the entire flock toward the desired goal. He (or she) does this by setting up boundaries, keeping the flock within those boundaries and nipping at the heels of stragglers to get them moving. However, within the boundaries of the flock there is a great degree of freedom to move about and the sheepdog allows this "chaos in motion” to happen.
Staff personnel are a lot like a flock of sheep in this regard. Each individual needs a certain amount of freedom. Employees want to have their voices heard, their experience respected and their knowledge utilized. Additionally, many want to have a certain amount of control over their work life. Whether it is control over their work hours, their PCs, their cubicles, or how they write their status reports, most creative people want – and need – some level of control.
Managers who try to use a “command and control" style of management may find they are doomed to failure. Just as a flock of sheep scatters when a wolf dives into the middle of it, so too will a team of creative, productive people scatter when a manager dives in and tries to exert control over every aspect of their work.
Early in my management career, I was pressured by new leadership to implement a command and control mode to "whip the troops into shape." And the results were dismal. Morale dropped, key personnel left and the remaining staff became bitter and uncooperative. After I convinced my management to let me loosened the reins I started having success; however it took a significant amount of time to rebuild a good working relationship.
Successful leaders acknowledge their team's expertise, respect their opinions, request and use their advice, and provide an atmosphere that is conducive to creative expression. Some of my most successful projects have involved teams that from the outside appeared to be very chaotic. And in truth, there was a certain amount of chaos. In fact, I even encouraged it. Chaos is nothing more than creativity in action. As the philosopher Nietzsche said, "Out of chaos comes order."
Successful managers do not try to control their teams. Like the sheepdog, these leaders establish realistic boundaries, allow their teams the freedom to move about within those boundaries, and work to move the team as a whole to the stated goal. They may have to circle the flock and nip the heels of stragglers every now and then, but their focus is on guiding, not controlling.
(This is an update to a column I originally wrote for Network World in 2001. The original article is copyright 2001 by Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southboro, MA 01772. Reprinted from Network World.)
