Fairy Godmother or Fearless Leader
I have always liked using physical objects to illustrate my points. So in the photo attached to this article you will no doubt be able to recognize these two characters. They come from the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. If you’re too young to remember you’ll need to do a little research on the ‘net or better yet get the collections of the show on DVD and watch them. The “fairy” or “Fairy Godmother” is from the Fractured Fairy Tales portion of the show. The rather stern looking chap is “Fearless Leader” the hardnosed boss of the villains Boris Badanov and Natasha Fatale who were constantly seeking to cause trouble for our heroes “moose and squirrel”.
I’ve spent time in the management ranks and have experienced the “thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” that all managers have when dealing with staff. After many conversations with staff, experimentation on keeping staff “engaged” (read happy), and much reflection on all those experiences and interactions I’ve come to the considered opinion that your staff will see you in either one of two ways. You will either be seen as the kindly and benevolent “fairy godmother” type or you will be seen as the dictatorial, unreasonable “Fearless Leader” type.
Consider this. If you are good and kindly, not holding them accountable for high standards; granting them passes on regularly coming in late or leaving early; if you overlook their screw-ups and only give positive reinforcement or lavish praise on them for the smallest things done right; if you are seen as their “friend” and not eyed by them as an obstacle you become the “granter of wishes” i.e. their “fairy godmother”. You will be a harmless benevolent being whose purpose it is to serve them by granting their wishes—the desires of their hearts… in this case an easy set of circumstances at work that bends to their wished and desires.
However, if you are business like, have high expectations of them and hold them to those expectations; if you ask them why they are late or question too closely their desire to leave early yet again; if you hold them accountable for their performance or lack thereof; if the feedback you give is not all positive and you hurt their feelings or offend their sensitivities; if you fail to notice and recognize even their smallest accomplishments and praise them lavishly for it; if you are “the boss” and not their friend; if you dole out punishment as a consequence of their actions; if you are in some way an obstacle to their happiness—you are the unappreciative and mean, nasty, and oppressive S.O.B.—you are “Fearless Leader”.
Oh, your staff may not readily admit to their view of you but you can bet that these views are harbored by most anyone with a boss. It does not speak ill of your staff it speaks to human nature. We all tend to think in kinder terms of those who let us have our way and less so of those who stand between us and what we want.
But you may say “Isn’t that a rather simplistic if not jaded view of how employees see their supervisors and managers?”. Or you may say “That way of thinking smacks of the old X and Y Theory of management”. You may be right … but that doesn’t make my observation wrong.
In this day and age where employers chase “Best Places to Work Awards”; implement 360 degree evaluations as a “best practice”; conduct pulse surveys to see what their employees are thinking about a topic on a given moment; where Human Resource departments are concerned about creating workplace cultures that are “inclusive” and “employee friendly”, and fret over their ability to recruit the “right talent” and keep them “engaged” so they don ‘t pick up their marbles and leave managers are increasing being nudged into the “fairy godmother” role. This is especially true for managers that must deal with the later Gen X and Gen Y employees or where employees have developed a sense of entitlement and lack a realistic view of how the workplace functions.
You must be able to manage in the way your company wants you to manage. But in reality you cannot be all things to all people … so don’t even try. Just know that their perceptions of you will change as you either grant or deny their “wishes”. As a manager in the types of organizations cited above you will be pressured to conform. You must be true to yourself. Take stock of your strengths and weaknesses as a manager. Be aware of your flaws; find ways to either overcome them or compensate for them. You should seek to build the skills and competencies it takes to mange effectively. But remember just as you need to seek ways to communicate, inspire, and manage each individual employee on your staff and move them toward top performance, just as you must adjust to them, your employees will have to adjust to you. The smart ones know that.
In your management career you will be a mix of both “Fairy Godmother” and “Fearless Leader”. Sometimes you will be both at the same time. But those views are just a matter of perception. Manage those perceptions to your benefit. Be yourself, always look towards improving your management skills, and take on both the Fairy Godmother and Fearless Leader roles as you need to. You can use them both to your advantage.