Tuesday, September 07, 2004
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I is for:
Ignorance
You can’t help being ignorant, but that’s no excuse for being stupid.
It’s impossible to know everything that all your employees know (unless you are blessed with a particularly lacklustre workforce), but it’s stupid not to learn the jargon used by them and by the other people you work with.
You don’t need to become an expert, just to be able to understand the broad outlines of what people are discussing and establish a degree of credibility for yourself.
In most cases, it’s fairly easy to grasp the basics, even with complex or technical subjects, because you only need to talk at a management level. Learn enough to discuss systems with the IT manager, but leave him to talk detailed gobbledegook with his IT specialists.
There’s also far too much information for you to acquire – let alone remember – it all, but it’s stupid not to set up systems which allow you to get hold of it when you need it.
This is one of the very few areas where politicians have taken the lead over businessmen. Even the most ignorant politician can tackle complex issues with a reasonable degree of fluency given a few hours’ warning – because of the network of civil servants he can call on for a briefing. [1]
Most of all, it’s stupid not to realise your own ignorance. It’s only when you acknowledge your weaknesses that you can compensate for them.
The worst mistake is pretending to know more than you do. And the worst culprits are those managers who see a subordinate’s demonstration of expertise as an affront to their own dignity, and asking for advice as a sign of weakness. Even in relatively simple areas like jargon, the overconfident manager is setting himself up for a fall.[2]
The smart manager isn’t the one who thinks he knows it all. He's the one who knows he doesn’t.
[1] While you’re at it, set up systems that allow your employees ready access to information as well. A day spent inflicting a properly thought-out filing system on your employees will pay for itself in a week as productivity improves.
[2] Garages provide a good illustration. Take a car in for repair, saying that you have no idea what’s wrong with it, and you’ll be charged the normal inflated rate. Give an accurate diagnosis, in the right technical language, and the cost should come down. But throw out the names of a few engine parts at random in the hope of appearing to be in the know, and the garage will gouge you for all you’re worth. Although most women have an understandable fear of being taken advantage of, garages are actually equal opportunity abusers. While women generally pay the going rate, men are split equally between those who understand cars – and so pay less – and those who feel compelled to pretend – and suffer the consequences. (Men who don’t even pretend to understand cars pay the going rate, but have their sexuality questioned.)
I is for:
Ignorance
You can’t help being ignorant, but that’s no excuse for being stupid.
It’s impossible to know everything that all your employees know (unless you are blessed with a particularly lacklustre workforce), but it’s stupid not to learn the jargon used by them and by the other people you work with.
You don’t need to become an expert, just to be able to understand the broad outlines of what people are discussing and establish a degree of credibility for yourself.
In most cases, it’s fairly easy to grasp the basics, even with complex or technical subjects, because you only need to talk at a management level. Learn enough to discuss systems with the IT manager, but leave him to talk detailed gobbledegook with his IT specialists.
There’s also far too much information for you to acquire – let alone remember – it all, but it’s stupid not to set up systems which allow you to get hold of it when you need it.
This is one of the very few areas where politicians have taken the lead over businessmen. Even the most ignorant politician can tackle complex issues with a reasonable degree of fluency given a few hours’ warning – because of the network of civil servants he can call on for a briefing. [1]
Most of all, it’s stupid not to realise your own ignorance. It’s only when you acknowledge your weaknesses that you can compensate for them.
The worst mistake is pretending to know more than you do. And the worst culprits are those managers who see a subordinate’s demonstration of expertise as an affront to their own dignity, and asking for advice as a sign of weakness. Even in relatively simple areas like jargon, the overconfident manager is setting himself up for a fall.[2]
The smart manager isn’t the one who thinks he knows it all. He's the one who knows he doesn’t.
[1] While you’re at it, set up systems that allow your employees ready access to information as well. A day spent inflicting a properly thought-out filing system on your employees will pay for itself in a week as productivity improves.
[2] Garages provide a good illustration. Take a car in for repair, saying that you have no idea what’s wrong with it, and you’ll be charged the normal inflated rate. Give an accurate diagnosis, in the right technical language, and the cost should come down. But throw out the names of a few engine parts at random in the hope of appearing to be in the know, and the garage will gouge you for all you’re worth. Although most women have an understandable fear of being taken advantage of, garages are actually equal opportunity abusers. While women generally pay the going rate, men are split equally between those who understand cars – and so pay less – and those who feel compelled to pretend – and suffer the consequences. (Men who don’t even pretend to understand cars pay the going rate, but have their sexuality questioned.)
