RULE 42

Know what you are supposed to be doing

So what are you supposed to be doing? It’s very easy to think you know, but do you really? It’s like when your boss says, ‘I want this done as soon as possible’. Now that’s really easy, isn’t it? Well, actually no. As soon as whose idea of possible? Yours? The boss’s? And does ‘want’ imply a wish or a need? And ‘done’ is open to all sorts of interpretation.

I know I’m being picky and pedantic but I’m illustrating a point here. You know you have a team and you have to manage it. You know you have budgets and figures and targets and they all have to be met. You know you have a forward-looking strategy and you would like to implement that. You know you have a contract and a job description.

But what are you supposed to be doing? What’s your priority? What’s the end point? What’s the goal? Has anything changed recently (senior management sometimes have a way of changing their minds and expecting you to know telepathically)?

I once worked for a senior manager who, to all outward appearances, wanted my team to be successful and productive but who seemed to be hampering my every move. Whenever I wanted to make changes that would drastically improve our figures he hesitated and delayed and wouldn’t make a decision. I couldn’t figure out what I was supposed to be doing. I wanted to run the department for him as well as I could, but he seemed to be putting obstacles in my path.

Eventually I discovered that another department – run by a relative of his – was supposed to be the winning team. I wasn’t allowed to be the golden boy because that was the role for his young nephew. He wanted me to fail so young Sam could look good. I was supposed to be useless. Once I had that info – what I was supposed to be doing – I could work effectively with it. You’ve got to know what you’re supposed to be doing.