MANAGEMENT UNPLUGGED:Some people spend their entire lives trying to divine the mysteries of management, but Sir Gerry Robinson makes it all sound very easy, writes Arthur Beesley.
Not for him the big words and nebulous intellection of the academic management tome. He prefers plain talk and direct action to wordy analysis.
If some managers revel in the complexity of their work, management guru Sir Gerry says clarity is the essence of the task. His self-help, jocular style all but stole the show yesterday at the Irish Management Institute conference. He says Ireland's future prosperity will depend on the success of its companies, so effective management will be crucial.
Good management is a combination of good judgement and leadership skill, he says.
So what makes a strong leader? "You know where you are with them. They're safe to be with."
In addition, a leader must have nous. "It's not about academic intelligence. It's a sense of realism. They're in touch with reality."
Real management talent is a rare enough thing, although Sir Gerry says the basic tasks make the job easier. Key decisions should be made quickly, without recourse to the politburo. "You have to have one leader," he says.
"The single most important action in leadership is to clearly lay out in the most crystal clear way you can what you are going to do." Staff must know exactly what they are being asked to do and the follow-up is crucial.
It doesn't stop there. "You need to set out really hard-nosed measurable things that you come back and say yes, we did it," he says.
"You can't really be a leader if you can't rally the troops . . . That kind of revving up can be enormously important. Fundamentally we are all children. We need to be told we're great. It is the least-used management tool.
"The most damning thing you can be is if a leader is having people asking what kind of a mood is he going to be in."
Sir Gerry says a manager must have passion in order to overcome the obstacles that always block the path to success.
"Business is not easy. Leading a business can be very frightening in many ways." That's where courage comes in. "The worst thing is to have to take the right decision when you know it's going to be badly received."
A good manager must strike the right balance between courage and foolhardiness.
The pay might be good in management but such work on its own doesn't make for a nice life. "You're fundamentally on your own. It's a pretty lonely occupation because people will not behave naturally towards you. It's very important to have reasonable balance in your life." Those who work weekends and avoid holidays are not doing their job properly, Sir Gerry says.
