Professional Subordination - Part 1

variations

Hello Mark and Mike.

Let me propose a variation on this theme and see what you make of it. 

I am a university professor in Italy. Recently (and sadly, repeatedly...)  the Ministry imposed restrictions on the number of distinct syllabuses (which courses, how long, etc.) to graduate in physics (that's my field). We ended up with just one syllabus, and some disciplines (say condensed matter vs elementary particles or so) got less than their fair share of the teaching slots available. The faculty discussed and fought bitterly over this, and the question was resolved by a thin majority vote. (I'll just mention that student representatives also get to vote, and they appeared to be, er, rather biased in their position. This adds further bitterness to the faculty confrontation.)

Now, I agree with your point that one should work to put the new plan in effect as best one can, without afterthoughts and regrets, which is what everyone did in practice, truth be told. 

But isn't it also an obligation for those who strenuously opposed this new plan, to have his position recorded and made public, even outside "that conference room" ? 

I guess one could view this as 1) honest towards students at large (not the representatives), most of which hated the decision in question: so one would like be clear who was in favor and who wasn't; and, 2) as a tactical tool to try to repeal or overturn that decision, should that moment ever come.

I know this is much more a wishy-washy downscaled replica of parliamentary squabbling than a typical business-organization situation. But I suspect your ideas will apply to this too. (By the way, I found your tools to be very powerful to manage research students and associates, and my English improved a lot too !)

Thanks for your time, and the great stuff you provide everyone.

Vincenzo Fiorentini

Great topic

This is an excellent cast. Too many people choose to deal with their frustation by acting divisively - venting or undermining.

I had a very difficult situation once where I advocated a strategy that was rejected in place of one I strongly disagreed with - even worse, it was in my area of expertise. I understood the reasons, but still, I disagreed. Sadly I didn't have this cast to listen to to back me up (!), but once the decision was made, I shut my mouth, never mentioned my dissenting view again, and got on with the work needed to support a decision I disagreed with with every fiber of my being.

Ten months later, the chosen path was not working. We were working so hard and doing our best to make the strategy work, yet copping seemingly endless internal and public criticism. Two days before I went on vacation, the plan came up for reconsideration - I recommended the path I had recommended all those months earlier, and the CEO changed tack and decided to go with the strategy I advocated. While this meant I had to come back from leave for a few days in the middle, I walked much more lightly! The new strategy worked a treat, and something that we had battled for months was gone in a week.  I am not a child; I did not say or allude to "I told you so" or "Like I said ten months ago..." at any point, or even mention that we were back on the path I had recommended so long ago - it's not about me and it never was.

This didn't mean it was forgotten though. As he drove me to the airport afterwards so I continue on with my vacation, the CEO said "You were right all along; the path I was on wasn't going to work and you were right. I also need to tell you I admire how professionally you handled this, and thank you for the way you supported me."  I had always respected this CEO greatly (even when he didn't take my advice!), but my respect for him redoubled when he had the integrity to admit he was wrong - he could have gotten away without that, but chose not to.

It's not going to always work that way of course. But for me, "suck it up and get on with it" was absolutely the right choice, and I would always advocate this, even though it is HARD. Did anyone promise management was easy?

timely advice

Thank you. Boy did I need this tonight!

So if you are in a fuzzy period between planning and execution, and a skip boss or double skip boss asks your opinion what do you?

Assuming you disagree with the boss, do you carry the boss's water which may put you into a poor position in an evolving organization or do you make your case at the risk of openly disagreeing with your boss which may also put you into a poor position?

Thank you in advance.

Wow, timely topic for me.

Just now dealing with this topic.

It does stink that all to often poor decisions are made by poor leaders with out getting input from those who have to work the plan.

Thanks for the reminder to keep my professionalism intact!

thanks again!

-Craig

 Mercuryblue, I've been in

 Mercuryblue,

I've been in a similar situation.  In my case however I didn't need to say I told you so as I'd have been drowned out by the cachophony of voices saying "Isn't this what Stephen suggested last year?"

--

Skype: stephenbooth_uk (Please note I'm on UK time)

DiSC: 6137

Experience is how you avoid failure, failure is what gives you experience.

 Vincenzo, I think the core

 Vincenzo,

I think the core advice of not continuing to voice dissent still applies.  It seems reasonable for your dissent to be in the minutes of the meetings leading up to the decision being taken but now it has been taken it is part of your reality and you need to teat it as such.  If prior to the decision you were vocal in support of an alternative and you are now asked about it I think it would be reasonable to say something like "Of course I'm personally disappointed that my preference wasn't taken forward.  The majority have spoken and we must work towards the agreed goals."  There is a difference between a personal disappointment at a decision that went differently to how you hoped and a professional (or unprofessional) dissent at a democratic decision.   Trying to undermine or subvert a decision because it went against you is highly unprofessional and a recipie for disaster.  Pretty much any decision is going to have people who disagreee with it so pretty much any decision is going to have people who want to undermine or subvert it.

Many of us who work in the public sector find ourselves beholden to political masters who hold and espouse ideologies that we find reprehensible.  We may even privately think that espousing those ideologies in the way they are espoused should be subject to legal censure, I can think of one (not well known and gladly no longer in a position of power) who regular made statements supporting and committing to actions that would have seen her facing the noose in 1946/7.  We still have to work for them though.

 Stephen

--

Skype: stephenbooth_uk (Please note I'm on UK time)

DiSC: 6137

Experience is how you avoid failure, failure is what gives you experience.

Thanks Stephen. Yes, of

Thanks Stephen.

Yes, of course, I am doing my best to implement what has been decided: that's for the students' good, especially. I may express concerns if really pressed, and only privately, in a form similar to your suggestion.

On the other hand, I disagree that, with the appropriate means and in due time, decisions cannot be changed. After all, laws get signed but they get repealed too, and there's nothing wrong with that as long as you play by the rules. 

Most of all, this specific decision did not go against me personally in any way, but rather that against the students' best interests. Also, it resulted from a wafer-thin majority vote on (teaching organization) issues that, by common consent and practice, should be widely agreed upon (compromised on, actually ;).

Best, Vincenzo

DISC: 81/14/77/88

struggling with one thing

I just re-listened to this cast tonight. 

I'm still struggling with this, Mark.  Unless I'm misinterpreting your advice you are saying that if one doesn't agree with something (assuming it is ethical) you need to show your support "as if you believe it" when presenting to your team. 

You go on to talk about how one shouldn't waste any time complaining or moping about saying, "why didn't they pick the idea I wanted?"  I totally get that.  No time for that.

And you talk about the fact that we, as a mgt. team, can have a vigorous debate, but once a decision is made, we all get behind it.  Totally get that too. If the decision is made, and we all understand/respect the chain of command, then we execute.  That's what you do, regardless of your personal opinion.

But are you actually saying one should pretend to your team that the decision is what you would have chosen if that was not the case?  That seems to me to be disingenuous, and a violation of trust.  

If a person on your team asks you directly whether this is the decision you would have chosen, would it not be acceptable to say something akin to, "this was not the approach I advocated for or supported, but the way decision making works in an organization is that we all agree that once the decision is made, regardless of our position, prior to that, we execute on it.  And that's what I, and you, need to do, to the very best of our ability. 

I am not good at misrepresenting the facts, and I don't want to lose the trust of my team members. 

I think people would respect that.  I do.  Is that naive?

on the other side of the fence & tatlletale

 Jgratehouse,

I just revisited this cast because I have been struggling on an an issue lately and maybe we can help each other. 

My boss has been very vocal about his lack of support for a project's implementation strategy but tells us that we have to do it anyway because it's what his boss has decided to do. 

Over time, I've noticed that he does the same on other issues/decisions/projects and it has started to affect my enthusiasm for working for him.  I do not know if this behavior is affecting others on my team, but it affects me-- I find my respect for my boss degrading over time.

Side note:  

I am new to this department and have  a mentor relationship with my skip boss; a relationship that started before I moved to this department.  I have been putting off meeting with my mentor; I don't want to tell him that my morale is on a decline because I don't want to tell on my boss. 

I used to be a manager and my boss used to be a peer and part of me thinks that maybe I am just more conscious of this pattern of behavior because I have listened to this cast in the past.  Does that make me a know-it-all?

Any advice?