Employment law attorney Michael Maslanka reviews the book The Set-Up-to-Fail Syndrome: How Good Managers Cause Great People to Fail by J.ean-Francois Manzoni and Jean-Louis Barsouxtalks. Review offers tips for helping supervisors talk to and communicate with employees.
Practicing law has taught me a lot, and here’s something that proves true again and again: Real influence in a company comes not from the answer (anybody can get that on the Internet) but from knowing how to frame an issue or a question.
The Set-Up-to-Fail Syndrome: How Good Managers Cause Great People to Fail
Supervisor won’t delegate
The book talks about a supervisor who purportedly has trouble delegating work. Others complain to the supervisor’s boss, and the boss is perplexed about what to do. Because the boss feels responsible for letting the supervisor know about their concerns, and because he’s worried that the supervisor’s career prospects will be limited if his focus is on day-to-day details, he decides to talk to the supervisor. Here’s how the narrowly framed conversation unfolds, according to Manzoni and Barsoux:
Boss: I’d like to discuss your work with you. You’re doing a great job, and we really value your contributions. But I think you do too much. You have some great people working for you; why not delegate a little more?
Supervisor: I don’t understand. I delegate when I think it is appropriate, but a lot of people in this company rely on quality work coming out of my department so I need to stay involved.
Boss: Yes, and we all appreciate your attention to detail. But, your job as a supervisor is to help employees grow . . . not be so focused on the details that you don’t have time to think about the bigger picture.
Supervisor: That’s not true. I’m always thinking about the future. Are you saying I’m not a strategic thinker?
Boss: You’re so busy dotting “i’s” and crossing every “t” that I just don’t know what kind of thinking you’re capable of!
Well, you can see how the well-intended conversation quickly turned into a death spiral. The boss framed the issue in terms of having already decided that the supervisor was guilty as charged. The supervisor naturally reacted defensively, and the issue was framed narrowly. They ended up like two boxers in a too-small boxing ring.
Broader frames, better results
When you have a narrow frame, the employee you’re talking to will sense that you’ve already come to a decision. And a narrow frame is usually based on a binary view of the world — an “either/or” perspective that most of the time isn’t nuanced enough for the complexity of human interactions. So the book suggests that a better frame, one more- encompassing and more likely to get a less defensive response, would be the following:
Boss: I don’t know if you’re aware of this — or if it’s true or not — but I’ve heard that your employees are anxious to take on a bit more responsibility. What do you think?
That kind of opening won’t lead to the death spiral we saw above.
Bottom line
According to the authors, research shows that employees tend to be more willing to accept feedback when they have the feeling that:
- The person offering the feedback is reliable and has good intentions toward them.
- The feedback-development process is fair — that is, the person giving the feedback has collected all the relevant information and wants to hear the employee’s positions and opinions.
- In the interactive exchange of the discussion, the boss offering suggestions and ideas actually listens to the supervisor’s thoughts, shows respect for his views, and doesn’t make a snap judgment.
Take a look at the book. I enjoyed it and hope you do, too.
Michael Maslanka is the managing partner of Ford & Harrison LLP’s Dallas, Texas, office. He has 20 years of experience in litigation and trial
of employment law cases and has served as Adjunct Counsel to a Fortune 10 company where he provided multi-state counseling on employment matters. He has also served as a Field Attorney for the National Labor Relations Board.
Mike is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and was selected as a “Texas Super Lawyer” by Texas Monthly and Law & Politics Magazine in 2003. He was also selected as one of the best lawyers in Dallas by “D” Magazine in 2003. Mike has served as the Chief Author and Editor of the Texas Employment Law Letter since 1990. He also authors the “Work Matters” column for Texas Lawyer.