Do You Have Management Courage?

At the 2009 Society for Human Resource Management conference in New Orleans, I had the good fortune to attend a session titled “Management Courage: Having the Heart of a Lion” presented by Margaret Morford, author of a book of the same name and president of HR consultancy HR Edge. Looking a bit like a tightly-wound librarian, conservative suit and bun in her hair, Morford’s Southern charm and witty stories proved that one should “never judge a book by its cover”.

Morford, who has consulted for the likes of HGTV, Wells Fargo, and Sara Lee Foods, introduced the audience of several hundred people to the concept of Management Courage, which she defines as “choosing a more difficult but more effective management strategy when easier options are available.” You see, it’s easier to avoid difficult subjects, treat everyone the same, and settle for status quo, than it is to step out of your comfort zone and confront such situations head on, even though you know it’s the right thing to do.

Morford outlines six principles of Management Courage are:

1. Not only being honest, but being the most honest. Have conversations that would be easier to just skip. Give people honest candid feedback. Tell people who aren’t promotable, that they aren’t and why.
2. Treating people equitably, but not identically. Everyone gets the same opportunity, but only those who perform get the rewards.
3. Not using individual policies as a crutch or excuse. Explain to people why something’s not working, don’t just say “the policy says so”.
4. Asking for real feedback. Have the guts to hear what people think you could improve on. Go see your biggest critic and ask them for feedback.
5. Taking responsibility for any mistakes that you or your team makes. True leaders own their mistakes and never blame others, the also never highlight the errors that their direct reports make.
6. Changing jobs when the culture isn’t right and the powers that be don’t change it. The point here is to try and create change (if possible) and if you can’t, and things don’t change, channel the courage to break free.

Morford’s utilization of the word “courage” is spot-on. Avoiding the six principles is easier, but the results get you nowhere. It takes real guts to be the kind of manager she of which she speaks. For more information on Management Courage, check out Morford’s book, a quick-read with a 5-star user rating on Barnesandnoble.com. You can else check out her company’s website at www.hredge.net.