Why a boss cannot coach (Part II)

How often do I hear a Senior manager proudly tell me how much time they spend with their key staff; after work for drinks, opening a bottle of wine in the office and putting their feet up to talk, Friday afternoon pizzas, inviting them over to barbeque or swim, knowing their families, and the importance of making sure their staff feels wanted, important, and like family. Not everyone does that, but I hear that loop often.

That can work, but personally I don’t think it works often in business, and keeping a modicum of distance between management levels is much more sensible than the huggy-feely part.

Since people in business come and go (more so now than ever before), the more important element at work is the job description, not the person. Descriptions are, by definition, neutral; the person in that job can shape it differently, but ultimately they are measured by how well they can deliver on an agreed upon standard. And if someone else comes in to replace an incumbent, their job description will be similar.

In an age of social media, with all the gossip and reality TV masquerading as news, it is much much less about personality–or even worse–the likeability of a person at work than asking the fundamental question: ‘what is the real measure of the job, not the person’.

I deal with companies who hire those who are well-liked, or the boss wants people like themselves, most companies do just that. What would their corporate profile be if they hired people who fit the job best, and that was the sole criteria? Very different. All companies have distinct personalities, corporate cultures, even dialect. Those who get hired may not be the best person for the role, but they have the right look, fit, ethnicity, accent, smile, etc.

Management needs to move away from the cult of the personality to the measure of the job and in doing so, assess their people on what they bring to the party. Not by coaching them—that is best left to a third party,and if the person can’t do the job, management has only themselves to blame, not the person, as the person was not suited for the job in the first place. But seldom does the boss blame themselves or their leaders for a bad hire.