One Managers Journal

Note: This journal has now closed.

This is the real life journal of a manager I know. Her organization is being dramatically restructured; jobs are changing or being eliminated; people are unsure and confused. These are things all managers go through. There are lessons here to be learned, by her and by the rest of us. She agreed to provide the journal entries, anonymously, so we could all learn from the experience.

I will add each new entry as she provides it, usually several time each week. If you want to comment on these entries, or ask questions, go to the Management Forum and post in the "Journal" folder. The first discussion is here.

Number 1

After about three months (really several years) of INTENSE growing pains, my organization -- a small (about a 100 folks), but prominent state agency operating under an umbrella agency that reports directly to the governor -- has done the unthinkable: stepped outside the box, listened to employees and customers, and made some innovative changes in leadership and direction.

The big announcement came last Monday -- after weeks of speculation, jockeying for positions, whining, sucking up, innuendo, and downright fear. That fear, which I'm almost sure I could smell, came mostly from our two managers. They knew the jig was up. Employees were -- despite some punitive actions taken by the director -- happier and more productive than we'd been in a long time. And the managers had NOTHING to do with it!

Everyone was extremely excited; getting to the conference room at least 15 minutes early. There was no executive table, people sat where they wanted. They sat up front -- eager to be called upon and asked questions; to not blend into the wall. As the director (hereafter called D) gave an historical account of what had taken place over the past six months, eyes began to glaze over, as people thought "Yeah, that's great...but what does it all mean for me?"

Continued.......

Close The Journal For Now

Later Entries

#1a | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 | #11 | #12 | #13 | #14 | #15 | #16 | #17 | #17a | #18 | #19 | #20 | #21