By Robert Beezat

When I began my career in local government management, I was fortunate that three experienced city managers shared their wisdom with me, which has guided me in my own management career. From them I learned:

"If it weren’t for the people, this job would be easy." I chuckled when one of them said it, but over the years of managing organizations, I learned he was right.

"People who do the work every day usually know better ways to get the work done." It is crucial to include those who do the work every day to define a problem, come up with a solution, and make the best decision possible.

"Trust in the wisdom of deliberative bodies. Honest, open, and respectful discussions will result in better decisions and outcomes than those decided by one person.

Then 10 years ago I was teaching a university course on principles of management and learned this pearl of wisdom that comes from author Henri Fayol (1841-1925), and wished I had known it earlier in my career: "In making decisions . . . the moral character (of the decisionmaker). . .determines the quality of the decisions."

At the time I wondered: "Who is Henri Fayol, and what does he mean by that statement?" It turns out that Fayol was one of the first to write about management theory and practice. His work is still one of the foundations of organizational management.

 

Character and Success

Fayol’s statement made me think more seriously and deeply about the possible connection between moral character and managing an effective and successful organization.

For my own writing pursuits, I explored the link between character and decision making. My premise is that our behaviors reflect and grow out of our character and that our character greatly influences the quality and effectiveness of our decisions and the success of our organizations.

Ten character-building activities, which involve considerable self-reflection, can help us make better decisions, improve our organizations’ productivity and effectiveness, and increase job satisfaction for the organizations’ employees:

1. Listen. Do I really think other people are worth listening to? How well do I listen to understand what the person is really saying? Am I willing to invest time in this kind of listening?

2. Involve employees in defining and solving a problem. Do I come to discussions about defining and solving a problem with answers I want my employees to accept or do I welcome honest and broad input that may change my initial ideas? Do I really think my employees have good ideas on how to get work done better and more effectively? Am I willing to invest time in this type of group effort?

3. Allow oneself to be challenged by staff members. Am I open and willing to changing my mind based on the input of the people I manage? Am I afraid that I will look weak or indecisive if I change my mind?

4. Help people grow. What have I done to honestly assess the strengths and weaknesses of my organization’s employees? Have I assisted them in growing their talents and skills?

5. Help people solve their work-related problems. Have I asked employees what they are struggling with that hinders their own productivity and effectiveness or of someone they manage? Have I made a deliberate effort on a timely basis to help them resolve the matter?

6. Be friendly and genuinely respectful and caring for employees. Do I genuinely respect employees? Am I friendly and kind to employees? Am I also firm with them when necessary?

7. Treat everyone equitably and fairly. Am I perceived as favoring one or more employees? Do I show the same patience and understanding to everyone? Do I equitably share praise for work that is well done by an individual or a team?

8. Always learn as broadly as possible. Do I have a plan and am I willing to invest time to broaden my base of knowledge? What have I learned recently that was not work-related and new to me?

9. Be a person of your word. Do I always do what I say I will do? Do I tell the truth even when it is unpleasant? Am I trustworthy?

10. Be healthy. Do I exercise regularly? Do I eat a healthy diet? Do I do things that are relaxing and refreshing to my body and mind? Am I willing to invest time in getting healthier?

The app BABU (Be a Better You) at https://babu.characterbasedmanagement.net will help you rank yourself on a scale of 1 to 5 on each of the 10 activities outlined in this article. Enjoy your character-building journey!

Robert Beezat is of counsel, GovHR USA, Northbrook, Illinois, and a former local government manager. He is author of the book Character Based Management: A Key to More Productive & Effective Organizations.