In business, people are always b&ll$h|tting – subordinates to superiors, suppliers to customers, etc. The ability to do this can make you a certified bada$$ butt-kicking tough-guy manager almost by itself. A skilled manager can read BS in people’s faces and body language. In fact, if you can do this, you are certainly on a fast track to an upper management position. If you can’t read people’s faces, you still want them to think you can, so be sure to mention it once in a while, possibly as an opening statement at a meeting, making sure that everyone under you knows you are watching and are good at sorting the BS from the realities.
One way to support your contention that you can read BS is to cultivate connections deeper in the organization (or in supplier organizations) that can keep you informed about what’s really going on. This information can be used to confront subordinates or peers, preferably in large review meetings where they feel most vulnerable, and put them on the spot, thus bolstering your power. A few connections in key places can give the smart manager real advantages in the organization, just be careful not to get into a situation where you would have to disclose a source, as not only will that hurt the effectiveness of the source, but it could intimidate other sources into withholding information from you and could make you look bad.
Another way to spot B.S. is to watch the faces of a manager’s direct reports as he goes through his presentation. A subordinate shaking his or her head or otherwise “flinching” may tell you that what you are being told is somehow false or misleading, and give you a clue as to what to question to keep the presenter out of their comfort zone and at a disadvantage. Top management always likes a tough questioner, too, so keep the pressure on and keep asking questions to keep the presenter just barely able to proceed without breaking down.
Being tough on B.S. is very positive when it comes to bolstering your image with upper management or the board of directors. When it comes to the area you manage, you may not know much, but you can certainly look like you do by focusing on spotting and questioning the B.S., and if you are tough enough about it you will have the respect (or at least fear, which is nearly as good) of your subordinates, your peers, and your superiors.
Tags: bad management, business humor, humor, maintaining authority, management humor, management secrets, management style
