No Drama Management

Why all that drama?

Think about the following and allow the answers to surface at your consciousness level. "How much time do you spent at your workplace managing all the drama that unfolds around you?" "Are you a Leader/Manager or a stage co-ordinator/actor"?

Lets define workplace drama - A set of workplace actions, reactions,behaviors and mind-set that engulfs one self and takes him or her away from the core objective of a task or job".

Lets examplify this - A manager is tasked to downsize a particular business unit and she will be held responsible for the entire process. Now lets list a typical drama that will unfold:
1. The manager is worried about her own position and switches on her own survival mode
2. She refuses to accept oustide expert help to manage the downsizing fearing that she is only making her self redundant
3. The senior HR leaders try to play the good-cop role by deflecting all blame and anger towards the manager or the 'HQ in US"
4. The affected employees withdraw into a cocoon of self blame, anger and frustration
5. The non-affected employee attempt to play nice to both sides
6. The business leaders become apologetic and end up making promises that they will ultimately fail to fullfill
7. The drama continues....on and on.

Lets look at another example - The management team is divided in their opinion as to who should be promoted into a new critical Sales and Marketing role. The choice is beween "the well liked Kumar" or the "hard driving Razak".
1. The management team divides it self into 2 opposing camps where old grudges surface for a final 'score-settling"
2. Kumar launches his campaign
3. Razak launches his own campaign
4. Both sets of team members launch their campaigns too!
5. Somehow, in some amazing ways, this selection proces is made out to be "the indication of what type of comapany this is and the prospects for our future"!
6 The drama goes on and on...

Why the drama? The answer is simple. The leadership of this organisation had allowed for drama to flourish. In fact they have themselves practised 'Management by Drama'.

At the core of the first example is a simple objective : To downsize for corporate financial reasons. It has a simple truth too : There is nothing you can do about it as it is within the company's right to do what it takes to continue returning value to the share-holders.

In the second example, the core objective is to select the most suitable candidate for the job based on what is expected out of that role for the company. The simple truth in this case is : The expected outcome of the role should determine the choice of selection and not the other way around.

I find there is simply too much drama around us. Now, dont get me wrong. I am not proposing that we go about our business like Spock. No, we are not androids with a heart. Not at the least. We are emotional creatures driven by logic. What I am saying is that leaders should be aware not to set the wrong example by engaging or tolerating too much dramas in their organisational ecosystem. Allow for creative emotions, drama, politics even but always keep the script and stage time short and sweet. Go back quickly to the core objective to conclude the drama.

Here is where a clear non-dramatic communication style will come in handy. Compare the following 2 statements and ask your self which leader is the easier to read and align your contributions to.
Leader 1 : I am 100% a business man
Leader 2 : I am a give and take leader

Now the answer to that question is obviously will be determined by your own sense of being of course. You may not be a 'business is all' individual or you may not be 'live and let live individual'. But, whatever your style is, I think you will find it easier to deal with Leader 1 because his non-dramatic communication style has made it plain and clear that even if you are a 'live and let live type' you had better do it with a profit for the company!

( I just stopped a minute to browse the web on this issue and I was not dissapointed. Here is something that I just found at http://stopyourdrama.wordpress.com/2010/02/05/7-ways-to-stop-workplace-drama/)

Negativity is the number one productivity problem in the workplace. Signs of negativity include backstabbing, gossiping, power struggles and lack of teamwork. The end result is absenteeism, low morale and turnover. Here are seven tips for improving workplace relationships and reducing negativity.

1. Facilitate Regular Staff Meetings
When done properly, regular meetings provide a forum for listening, problem-solving and honoring peak performance. Meeting mistakes include lecturing instead of engaging the team, inconsistent meeting times, no agenda, and no fun.

2. Institute a DRAMA-Free Workplace
Make relationships a priority and support the relationships with a standard operating procedure and employee manual. Review at least once a year and let the rules be the “bad guy” when it comes to discipline.

3. Eliminate the Open Door Policy
The door should only be open during specific hours and preferably by appointment. This prevents casual visits to vent or tattle.

4. Stop Office Gossip
Sally comes to you and says, “Don’t tell Donna, I said this, but Donna is unhappy with…” Discourage hearsay with a calm question, “Why are you coming to me with Donna’s problem?” Send the message you do not tolerate “rescuing” behavior.

5. Teach Problem-Solving
When an employee comes to you with a complaint, acknowledge the complaint, then schedule the employee to come back with all the facts, and an idea or potential solution.

6. Require Rejuvenation
No rest and recovery equals irritability, impatience, rude behavior and more mistakes. Managing energy is crucial to peak performance and productivity. Make regular breaks mandatory at least every two hours if possible.

7. Be the Change You Wish To See
Master your communication and relationship skills. Set the example: Master your emotions, be fair, listen, have integrity, show respect and have fun. Remember the words of William Penn: “No man is fit to command another who cannot command himself.”

Go to www.stopyourdrama.us to get a more in depth discussion of the 7 Ways to Stop Workplace Drama.


Lets de-dramatize the workplace. Its the better way to manage.

Perform Meaning...Add Meaning

Finally today I was able to experience a little of the magic of Deepak Chopra's philosophy and techniques. This was courtesy of Tony Pinto who is a certified Chopra Centre trainer. It was calming to be in his office which was furnished with furniture from my grandmother's era. I am sure your grandmother's too. Perhaps it is Tony's strategy to put me at ease. It worked on me wonderfully what with his soothing bhajans and incense. Who does not feel a sense of warmth and love when thinking of their grandmother. I surely do whenever I think of my late grandmother.

Anyway, my idea was to take a Saturday off for something other than work related stuff. So, for the first time in a long time since I joined my current organisation, I didn't switch on my office laptop first thing on a Saturday morning (I did so at 4pm after returning from Tony's office though...good enough for starters)or sit at the Starbucks at the Curve reading the Economist.Yet, as I was enjoying my conversation with Tony, I noticed a little poster on his wall that said " Perform meaning...add meaning" and my thoughts went straight back to work! So here I am blogging about work...I guess its an incurable disease but love it. In a sense your calling never leaves you and I guess I should not be complaining as some people spend a lifetime trying to find theirs. Tony found his after over 50 years of searching.I found mine when I was perhaps 20 years old.

That phrase on Tony's wall is powerful and I have seen its power. In fact just a few days ago, I delivered a half day seminar for a client and I witnessed how powerful it is when you spend some energy in determining what exactly the meaning behind what you are doing. Essentially, at least for me, what it means is that you need o find what exactly the meaning behind what you are doing and having found that meaning continue to add more of that meaning into your action so that it becomes filled with meaningful discovery, knowledge, experience, emotion, learning, etc for yourself and others. In my chosen calling, often times it is not what I have to say that is important but what my audience needs to know that becomes the key concern. I can be armed with the best research or equipped with the most advanced tool but they are of little use if they can't provide the meaning (read value)that my audience is seeking for. Sometimes we do great injustice to the product or service that we have when we think that the product by it self should be sufficient to attract a potential customer. In my experience the more sophisticated or cutting-edge your product or service is, the more you rely on the product or service to sell it self. In other words, you don't add meaning/value. You don't innovate, improvise, re-configure, change or adapt. You become the GM and Ford of the past (present too perhaps?).

Guess what? It is also very easy to find out what meanings you customers want out of your product or service. Just ask them. Tell them what you have and ask them what they need and end by telling how much of their needs your product is going to fulfill. Finally, suggest ways how you are going to help them meet their needs or requirements which your product will not be able to satisfy. Now, that's what I call adding meaning to what you do.

Someone once told me that people don't buy a Nike because they want shoes. How true.
They buy the meaning behind Nike and Nike has added lots of that into its products.