The Passing of T-Rex


Intimidation is an outdated management tool. Both of the intimidators to whom I referred are over sixty-five years old. While management by intimidation used to work pretty well, it rarely works today and can backfire big time. I had a very insightful conversation on exactly this topic with Richard Bell, the chairman and CEO of HDR, Inc.—a major employee-owned international building and construction group. He attributes the decline of the tyrannical dinosaurs to the advance of technology and the freedoms associated with technology. "In the 1980s you could get away with being a tyrant. But now this world is built on the Internet. There are more choices, and nobody has to be trapped anymore." Intimidation in today's business environment, according to Bell, chases away the talent and leaves people who are either desperate, sycophants, or vacuous.

Doug Bain of Boeing also believes that management by intimidation is on the way out. "The more temper you show, the less successful you will be," according to Bain. He attributes this change in the business climate to the rise of "individual rights" in the workplace over the past twenty-five years. Employees used to consider themselves as a tiny part of a big community. That meant they would tolerate intimidating managers. Now, with the advancement of workplace rights, individuals see themselves as having more power, and they will not put up with intimidators.




Staying Power. 30 Secrets Invincible Executives Use for Getting to the Top - and Staying There
Staying Power : 30 Secrets Invincible Executives Use for Getting to the Top - and Staying There
ISBN: 0071395172
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 174

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net