Once In A Lifetime Opportunity If Played Correctly, what to do?
 

The scenario is this:
A large division of a company is left without a leader and due to experience and expertise, lets say I am the natural fit. The benefits have the potential to be fantastic provided the group can pull together but here is the problem: If this fails, it could very well mean that the whole nut is broken up and sold off.

- They are made up of 15 individuals, eight of which are managers of various sub-groups all with agendas of their own
- There are turf wars going on all the time, finger pointing and blame and no accountability
- They are some of the most talented, highly educated folks you will find and many are exceedingly passionate about what they do and how they do it
- The market and profit potential are insane if this can be pulled off
- They all play nice nice during meetings and so forth but afterwards they throw each other under the bus in very creative ways
- The division leader prior managed by coercion and fear and it worked with this crowd but new corporate mandates and a new legal outlook has made life more PC, old school is not allowed


So, how to get them all working in the same direction?

- They are some of the most talented, highly educated folks you will find and many are exceedingly passionate about what they do and how they do it

At the end of the day, it is all about the people. Can you lead them?

Individally yes, pulling them together as a group? I do not know yet.

If it was simple, anyone could do it.

Good luck!

If the nut gets cleaved and sold, does that sink you regardless of whether you stay in your current position or not?

Will you be willing and able to fire and replace people? Creative, educated, talented is all fine, but more than offset by destructive and back-stabbing.

Do you want to do it? Or will you be happier doing something else?

What's the upside and downside, financially?

Some things I'd think about.

- There are turf wars going on all the time, finger pointing and blame and no accountability

you sure you're not in academia?

Lube...

Seems to me the question you are really asking is: How do you, as a leader, give each of these guys a stake in the success of the others? If torpedoing is a way of life, it seems logical that they need to be in a structure where the torpedoes are perceived as self-destructive.

Redefine the "turf".

Jim

What kind of 15 man organization have 8 managers? What specifically makes you the natural leader of this pack?

Oh Purveyor of Dark Arts and graduate of the ultimate Political corporation. Sounds like a piece of cake.

Your job, as the leader, is to set the directions and goals for the group. Your other job is to understand the motivations of these people and use that information to set the incentives for these people right to maximize their commitment.

Fire a couple of the weaker managers and reorganize, that will get the message across, otherwise they will just continue to screw over each others outside of meetings, either that or implement an incentive compensation system that gives them all a chance to make the big bucks but only if they can work together.

Jimmy Baby hit on it...Tell them that if they fail, all their heads are gona be gone, and they are gona be unemployed. That working together is the only way for sucess.

If they are unwilling to change their ways U got no chance of success.

Are you one of the current Managers?

Personally I'd rather fail for trying any day then doing nothing. I suspect you are much the same.

Even in failure there are valuable lessons to learn that can be applied to the next success.

Go do it, you know you can and those of us here know you can.

Scott

Mike,

You're a leader, you can do it!!

man after reading your description...............sounds like just another tricky day in good old corporate amerika. status quo. no different anywhere else. same old crap different day.

what are they gonna do if it goes to sh!!? take your birthday away??

hell as mentioned .......better to try and fail than sit on your ass.


thats the diff. btwn corp. amerika and being self employed. im my own worst boss. up at 4am work til 5pm usually 5-7 days a week and when everythings done..............FUCH OFF until its time to hit it again!

make everyone accountable...........PERIOD! set them up as each of THEIR OWN BIZ UNITS! those that are profitable stay, those that arent..........sh!!-canned. will make them think about their expense accounts and how much they blow at titty bars "entertaining! their mantra should be when entertaining "what is this going to buy me?" not lets get shi!-faced and put it on expense account!

when you run your OWN BIZ UNIT............the playing field is changed. when you just showup and punch clock.......nobody gives a rats ass about productivity!

if i want to shove a ton of money into my p-car.........i work my ass off. THATS MY INCENTIVE! and thats exactly what i have done. more work less play, = one bad ass PCA F-STOCK P-CAR!

moral to story........when self employed or running a BIZ UNIT, you are driven to profitability. every action thought is for the good of the company. there are no golf games unless its assured to bring new or more biz to unit.

if i go back to korp. amerika..............heads will spin and heads will fall if i dont see people busting their ass and making positive change.

recession hell!......................SELL!

ITS ALL ABOUT THE LUBE! LUBE THEM UP and STICK IT TO'EM!

another mantra..................WORK OR DIE!


quicky background........aerospace machine tools all my life. doesnt get anymore cut throat. self employed since 11/98. end result now...........more toys and investments than i EVER WOULD HAVE if still playing goofy ass korp amerika games!

First, cut the hyperbole in half. That will give you a more reasonable assessment of the situation. Underpromise, overdeliver. I applaud your enthusiasm, but you are setting yourself up to fail from the get-go with the manic-depressive, bipolar nature of your description.

Next you've got to get the group offsite for 2 days of achieve/ preserve/ avoid ananlysis. That will help build the team...all of them need to provide input on what works, what doesn't, who sucks, new ideas, etc. Stupid management consulting term, but you need to get buy-in that there is a future to the group. Second half of day 2 create a 30 and 90 day plan with ownership and deliverables. Anyone not meeting plan goals at the end of 90 days gets terminated.

Jobs are simple. People make them difficult.

I say go for it. Make no mistake though (as someone who recently got placed into a similar kind of management role) - you WILL be tested and "felt out" by those under you IMMEDIATELY. Everyone will want to establish their boundaries and their pecking order before you have a chance to get comfortable in the position. A new manager is often timid about cracking the whip on people that are overstepping their boundaries - can you do it? WILL you do it? Do you know exactly what authority you have? Can you hire/fire? You have to know you have the FULL backing and resources of your company behind you before you go into that position and that they're going to stand behind you no matter what you do - even/especially if that means transferring people, ****-canning one or more of them, hiring new people, etc. If the company won't give you the backing, run away. If they will, it sounds like a great opportunity.

Best of luck man. Time to become an expert in lubricating the machinery of business.

Easy one Mike - take the job - get them all to hate you - when they have that one thing in common - that's when you start building them into a team.

Oh and make sure you get a piece of it from the beginning - or work your way into a "sweat equity" position... that way you get ahead if the unit does well, or if it gets sold.

Re: Once In A Lifetime Opportunity If Played Correctly, what to do?
 

No need to explain anything further. That means that they will pick someone with less or no experience and expertise instead of you , and this person will always question and undermine your work and knowledge, even though he has no idea of what he's talking about.

Or something like that...

-Z-man.

just remember the old JFK PT-109 title..........."THEY WERE EXPENDABLE"

hang your ass out there, nothing ventured................nothing gained.

Do these managers know you well? Do they respect you?

I think the question on why you're the best fit is a good one. Who came to this conclusion and why?

A good leader surrounds himself with the best people available. This leader need not be an expert in each of his managers fields....a common misconception. In fact if the candidate is he/she would likely not make a good leader.

These managers need to be both leaders AND team players. Not all are capable of the mix. From the little you write it sounds as if these managers need more distinct areas to manage. Is overlap creating an environment of distrust?

Mike, how many people have you managed over how long?

What's the org chart look like with these 8/15?

Ya, I cn bring in my people if I choose but the experience set and expertise would be tough to replace at first.

The upside- no travel and a bump in salery by $300,000!

The turf has to do with departments - R&D, Process dev, Mfg, Sales, Mkting, QC, Tech Serv...

I have experience in managing engineers, sales people and marketing people not to mention that fact that I have experience in all the areas that these managers have groups (R&D, Process dev, Mfg, QC, Sales, Mkting, Tech Serv, App Eng) and I know the technology and the business.

He who controls the purse strings... controls. Hacking up might send the wrong message at first. A slow, methodical pace may prove more effective but then again 'shock-n-awe' could get some attention.

The business is rather complicated and they are all very good at what they do - their ability, if focused could bring about some great stuff.

It is not even the company I am working for. I know the company well because we have done good things for them.

Shock and awe never has the effect you want it to have. These are not passive sheep. You do not want them to be passive sheep. You want a pack of wolves and you need to be leader of the pack.

Do you understand dog psychology? Figure out the most senior one. Work out a way to show you are superior to him, but at the same time, leave a way for him to save face. Make this guy your 2nd in command and you will do well.

Tough to say if they all respect me or not - I am an outsider and the times I have spent with them, the upper management treats me like a rockstar. I have the hype coming in if I acept the post. That is not to say that some will look at me as a threat while others as a savour. The difficulty is to know who is who.

The job is a VP/GM slot and it could easily be a spring board for a CEO spot in 10 (or less) years (somplace else) if the profitabily is made. Then we are talking large cash.

On your deathbed, you will not look back at your life and say "I'm glad I didn't try".
Grow some nads and go for it. Be a hardass, be tough and don't take any crap from them. If they don't want to play nice, rerplace them. If they do play nice, reward them. Do that and they will make you look like a genious.

True dat Wayno - I looked into the incentives for each group. The thing is a mess. Placed a call to the Board Director of over the weekend. The Board isn't going to be very flexible with changing it. If I could get everyone on the same page with the $$$ then I could begin the slow road to transforming them into a world class gig. Problem is, that won't happen.

The last thing I told the guy was "Looks like you have some smoldering fires burning deep and I don't have any means of putting them out and I can't harvest the energy effectivily."

His reply "Thats why you'd get paid the big bucks."

Sorry fella, more land means more grass to cut and your given me a heard of goats with bad bowels when what I need to get the job done is a reel mower and a 50hp tractor.

passed on the offer - the money is stupid good but at the end of the day, I have a Wife and Kids to come home to and the landscape of that company would / could turn me into an 18hour a day knucklehead.

Opportunities (like cars) are always presenting themselves. Using sound judgement is important in these times.

Thanks for your insights guys!

Re: Once In A Lifetime Opportunity If Played Correctly, what to do?
 

IMHO this:


- The division leader prior managed by coercion and fear and it worked with this crowd


Is what leads to this:


- There are turf wars going on all the time, finger pointing and blame and no accountability
-- They all play nice nice during meetings and so forth but afterwards they throw each other under the bus in very creative ways


BTDT...

Sounds like you escaped the grasp of "The Peter Principle"
JMPRO

In my opinion - and only my opinion - the real management challenge is succeeding in an environment like this. I've had a few of these types of challenges in my career. If you have a proven track record of turning around difficult situations your stock will rise. If you are really good you will make them believe that they are changing and succeeding to benefit themselves. That's where the art of management comes in.

if delivered in a professional and respectful manner, it is usually the best method of dealing with a group of individuals who are under borderline control

These things are like cars - there is always one out there that would be real interesting until you get under the hood and find out there is all sorts of work to be done beyond what you thought it needed.

I have been approuched before several times from other companies and declined the offers on the spot. This one made me think twice cuz of the cash but at the end of the day if they are gonna pay big then they are gonna want big.

If they would go for a 3 year contract then...

s'alright. send me in there. I'll straighten 'em out!

3 year contract? who wants that?

2 scenarios if you had played this correctly:
1. go in, do well, make money, rise in power

2. go in, fail, 6 month term, golden parachute, move on