The Danger of ”a Returning Boss”

1. The Danger of ”a Returning Boss” Mikko T. Nenonen MD, PhD, MBA - Talent Partners Public Consulting Ltd Timo Aronkytö MD, MBA– City of Vantaa

2. Never express yourself more clearly than you are able to think. Niels Bohr

3. The Danger of ” a Leaving Boss”

4. The Boss (manager/leader) leaving an organisation • The role and the actions of the boss (manger/leader) • Why to leave the organisation? • Collect experience, skills • Career development • Why to come back to the organisation? • To share and revitalise organisation • To destroy the organisation(?)

5. Organisation is a System • Organisation (Leader) is a system • Boss leaving changes the ”equilibrium” • BUT a system with a culture (organisational culture)

6. Power Direction System is complementary whole like Yin and Yang – The boss determines the direction with/of the org. using power Being complementary and alternative, they are not dissociable.

7. The Danger of ”a Returning Boss” RISKS? PROSPERITY and SUCCESS ? or a CHAOS and FAILURE?

8. Conscious and unconscious mind of the boss Conscious and unconscious elements of the culture of the organization the habits, assumptions, understandings, values, judgments How is it possible to assess the change of the unconscious?

9. When the Boss returns • Development has taken place in the organisation (conscious, unconscious; organisational culture drift) and the boss has changed (learned something) • Questions: • 1. Is he/she (and the mind; unconscious) returning to the same place and time what hhe/she left • 2.Is he/she returning as a different person and with different skills (values, attitudes, beliefs etc) to an organisation which has developed (with its culture) during his/her absence • “2” leads to a conflict and fight about power as DIRECTIONS differ

10. Failure of Successful Return • Strategic shift from customers to internal politics. • Conflicts of interest, Power fights, Energy wasted. • Informal approaches to gain power through “evil” means; POLITICS • Talented people leave • Factors contributing to politics • Pyramid-shaped organization structure • Subjective standards of performance • Environmental uncertainty and turbulence • Emotional insecurity • Machiavellian tendencies • Disagreement over major issues

11. Politics – Using Unethical influence tactics

12. Transactional Analysis (TA)A method to assess game playing • A psychoanalytic theory of psychology developed by psychiatrist Eric Berne in the late 1950’s • Very useful for • Analysing interactions with others • Improving communication with others • Berne, Eric (1964) Games people Play

13. Transactional Analysis: Essential Principles • People’s interactions are made up of transactions • These involvea stimulus and response

14. Transactional Analysis: Essential Principles • Earliest transactions include • Stimulus: I cry • Response: I get fed • Stimulus: I wet my nappy • Response: My nappy is changed

15. Transactional Analysis: Essential Principles • Three Ego States: • Parent • Adult • Child P A C

16. The Parent • Unconsciously acting in similar ways to our parents • Can be: • Nurturing: permission, security, guidance • Critical: controlling

17. The Adult • Living in the present and responding to situations through rational thought.

18. The Child • Unconsciously reverting to • childhood behaviours • Primitive • Impulsive • Demanding • Creative

19. TA - Life Positions • I’m not OK, you’re not OK • ‘This is terrible, we’ll never succeed’ I’m not OK, you’re OK ‘I wish I could do it as well as you do’ I’m OK, you’re not OK ‘You’re not doing it right, let me show you’ I’m OK, you’re OK ‘We’re making good progress here’

20. Complementary: ‘What time is it?’ ‘Three o’clock.’ Crossed: ‘What time is it?’ ‘Forget about what time it is, get that report finished.’ Transactions Ulterior ‘What time is it?’ ‘What time do you think it is?’ ‘Beer o’clock?’ ‘Exactly!’

21. Strokes • Strokes are the recognition one person gives another • These begin in infancy as hugs • Later in life become more verbal/abstract Positive Strokes: Praise Positive feedback Compliments Expressions of appreciation Good reports Negative Strokes: Non-constructive criticism Negative judgements Insults Expressions of disapproval Bad reports

22. Games • Crooked or covert exchanges of strokes • Regularly repeated interactions with ulterior motives • Often the players of these games are not conscious they are doing this • But sometimes they are! • A good example of a game that we are all familiar with is: • ‘Why don’t you/Yes but…’

23. Returning Boss examples • How potentially positive transactions can • go bad…

24. Adult to Adult:Boss: “Our customer service needs some improvement”

25. Organisation: “You think that with your new degree .. ”

26. Boss’s response :“Yes, I am MBA from.. And this organisation has gone to dogs while..”

27. Organisation: “Sir, you are partly right, I suppose…”Boss: “ But still, we have lots of assets together..:”

28. Boss:But, nevertheless, you have failed to fulfil my expectations while I was away..:” P P A A C C

29. Organisation:“sorry, but …”Boss:

30. Gossiping…, Politics P P A A C C

31. Managing Conflict Strategies when Playing - Intervention Styles Assertive Forcing Collaborating P SPACE TIME RETURNING BOSS Compromising A C Accomodating Avoiding Unassertive Uncooperative Cooperative ORGANISATION READINESS TO CO-OPERATE Mod. from Thomas-Killman, Berne 1964

32. “I never give them hell. I just tell the truth and they think its hell.” Harry S. Truman