Читать книгу Amplifiers - Tom Finegan - Страница 18

Anyone who has been responsible for managing staff members understands the difference between an employee who is strictly a subordinate and one who is a follower. In some cases, subordinates are actually easier to manage. Because they tend not to employ critical independent thinking skills for their given assignment, they will simply carry out the orders or directions you give them. However, they may require more interaction because they are less capable of resolving issues or any nonconforming item that comes up in their workflow, process, or assembly.

Good subordinates do as they are told, typically no more and no less. Employees with this operating style are generally easy to predict and can produce reliable and repeatable output in their tasks or position. However, because they lack critical independent thinking skills, they are susceptible to leaders with bad motives or ill-conceived strategies. Any company with a large percentage of subordinates versus followers runs the risk of pursuing a failed course and underachieving their potential.

Subordinates are motivated to work because they have to; it's a necessary evil. They have mixed, if any, career aspirations. Their work is a job, not a vocation. However, being a subordinate in and of itself is not a bad thing. Most companies, including great companies, have a large number of subordinates among their workforces. Great companies are able to channel the energy of these hard-working and dutiful employees toward the ultimate mission and destination of the company strategy. Furthermore, they are able to spot subordinates with followership potential and raise them up along the followership continuum in order to tap their skills and unleash greater career potential for them as professionals.

Many subordinates are not qualified to become managers, and in fact, many do not aspire to manage others. Some subordinates are seasonal, transient, or in entry-level positions that are hired for a particular individual contributor role where management responsibilities do not make sense. That said, subordinates are core team members and are essential for the company's success.

The characteristics of subordinates are quite different than those of followers:

 Competency. Many subordinates are very capable at their core job responsibilities. They typically don't need heavy supervision, have learned their jobs well, and are able to effectively get their work done. They can track down issues, interact with business partners and colleagues, and generally resolve barriers to getting the job done. Managers seldom have to worry about them getting off task or if their work product will be done accurately and on time.

 Work ethic. Many subordinates have a proven work ethic. When faced with milestone dates, surge capacity, or the daily grind of the workload, they have the inner drive to persist and get the job done. Managers can rely on these workers to work on tasks until the job is complete.

 Reliability and consistency. One of the great assets of subordinates is that they are reliable. As the business environment, workload, or the work itself changes, subordinates are steadfast and get the work done. They are consistent. Managers can depend on these workers in good times and bad to carry out the mission of the group.

 Ownership. Subordinates believe the job you task them with is theirs. They do not need to be reminded to complete their tasks or to complete their work with the utmost care because they take pride and ownership of their work.

As strong as these characteristics are and the value they bring to managers, subordinates don't possess the leadership or followership traits necessary to fill a leadership void. They can be counted on to get their job done and done well, but their primary focus will be on their individual responsibilities. They are unlikely to ascend to higher leadership or management roles because they are unable to engage a broader group to amplify output. They are perfectly content being position players and sometimes can be in their roles for long periods of time. Yet organizations cannot succeed without them. They are a critical part of the organization's success. Conversely, some subordinates possess the requisite skills, albeit in an immature state, and simply need to be developed, like raw clay, so they can become effective followers.