Managing People Is Like Herding Cats and Cats Won't Allow Themselves to Be Herded - Coursework Example

Name Class Unit Introduction Leading and managing organisations have been compared to herding cats. This is an idiomatic saying which refers to making attempt of controlling chaotic and uncontrollable entities. The idiomatic saying refers to a task which is difficult to carry out. In management, most managers feels like they spend most of their times herding cats rather than leading their projects. This is due to fact that workers have varying drivers and intentions making them run in different directions (Gordon, 2009). The pressure from multigenerational workforce and diversity requires change in management attitudes. This leads to need for change from traditional hierarchical management to empowering followers. Managers are required to learn ways in which they can work better with their teams. This report is based on Warren Bennis claim that "managing people is like herding cats and cats won't allow themselves to be herded" (Bennis, 1999). The essay shows how this approach is helpful in understanding management. This is attained through use of different management theories showing how they support or refute Bennis’ view. Management involves designing an environment where the workers can accomplish their aims in an effective manner. Managers have five main functions which are; planning, organising, staffing controlling and leading based on traditional management theories. Through management, it becomes possible for the individuals to make the best contributions to the organisation (Gordon, 2009). Effective management is the main concern in every organisation. This is due to fact that management determines the success of the organisation. Managing is a very important activity for the human beings. It is thus vital to ensure that the task of managing is not made difficult like herding cats. Through proper management, it becomes possible to accomplish more than we could as individuals. The management ensures that the individual efforts in an organisation are coordinated. Bennies view is thus vital in management as it gives a glimpse of what would happen in poor management. Management theory has been a crucial part in managing the complex organisations. Through the management theories, it becomes possible to make the seemingly hard task of management easier (Meredith Belbin, 2011). The chief goal for managers is to enable an environment where individuals are able to accomplish their goals based on limited time, money and materials (Gordon, 2009). This is through ensuring that there is achievement of much as possible through utilising the available resources. A manager who is able to attain this goal is referred to as strategic. Managers are also expected to be productive. This is through effectively performing the managerial tasks as well as other tasks. The output input ratio for the managers must be high as possible (Pfeffer, 2005). Despite the claim by Bennis view that managing people is like herding cats, Henri Fayol proposed principles for effective management. He asserted that management can be successful through specialisation, authority, discipline, unit of command, direction, and division of interests and line of authority among other aspects. Fayol claimed that use of specialisation leads to high level of improvement in skills and methods among the workers. He also asserted that in management, there must be right to give orders to the subordinates (Parker & Ritson, 2005). The subordinates must show obedience to the leadership. For management to be successful there must be a shared effort among all the staff. Employees must be ready to comply to management while the management shows proper leadership. An organisation should have a direct line of command. This ensures that there is no conflict in commands. This also leads to management moving towards a common goal (Raduan, Jegak, Haslinda & Alimin, 2009). This makes management to be successful unlike herding cats. Mary parker Follet came with a human relation approach to management. She emphasized on the importance of manager worker approach for management to be effective. Follet looked at management in a more holistic manner. She looked at management as an art and not science. Based on her view, it is possible to manage people more effectively using the human relations approach. This is through facilitating cooperation and involvement in workers decision making. It is thus possible to manage people in an organisation despite the claim by Bennis claim. It is possible to command the workers in a common direction towards a set goal. Cats do what they want and not what others want them to do. They do not allow themselves to be herded and hence gives a difficult time to those managing them (Bennis, 1999). With the right management approach according to Follet, it is possible to have effective management (Pfeffer, 2005). To successfully manage the followers, a manager is expected to be good in planning. They must be good decision makers through making the right choice from the given alternatives. Before making a decision, planning must be involved. A manager organises the workers to avoid herding cats. This is due to fact that workers are in most cases haphazard when carrying out a task. The manager comes up with an intentional structure for the people. All tasks that are required in order to achieve the goal are assigned with those who can do the best in them. The main purpose of the structure is creating an environment for human performance. The roles of workers in the structure are based on their abilities and level of motivation (Meredith Belbin, 2011). A manager is a leader who must influence people towards the organisation goals. The manager is expected to herd everyone towards a common purpose. Based on the contingency perspective, there is no best way to manage. This is due to fact that organisation situations differ and each has its own problems, challenges and environmental factors. There are changes in technology, demographic, culture and legislations. Management must be flexible in order to manage in varying situations. Organisations that are operating in uncertain environments are expected to utilise a flexible approach. This is different from the organisations that are operating in stable environment. This requires a rigid and structured management style. To manage effectively in very situation, it is important to evaluate each situation independently. This will give the best management theory to be applied (Miller & Tsang, 2011). Management is more about coordination. The manager is expected to harmonise the followers towards the accomplishment of a given goal. Every managerial function contributes to coordination (Gordon, 2009). Through coordination, the management is able to avoid herding the cats. It becomes easily mesh the efforts of different workers towards a mutual goal. Without coordination, individuals interpret similar interests in varying ways. The work of the management is to reconcile varying interests and harmonising their interest towards a common organisation goal (Meredith Belbin, 2011). Managers can be both successful and effective based on the way in which they manage. The managers are expected to be strategic in their works. This is through deployment and implementing strategic management plan. Managers are expected to be strategic to make the task of managing easier. This involves coming up with a plan which is communicated to all employees. The implementation phase involves putting the plan into action. The manager has a responsibility to strategically manage the organisation. This is a continuous process and not a onetime event. Thus, senior leaders must be ready to be strategic thinkers and well versed with organisation culture. They must be ready to change the organisation culture when required (Pfeffer, 2005). To make management easier, leaders acts as facilitators and coaches. This makes management to be more than herding the cats. Leaders should act as consensus builders as well as consultants. Herding the cats’ expression can be eliminated through transformational leadership. This is leadership where the leader is able to broaden and elevate the employees’ interests (Meredith Belbin, 2011). Transformational leader enables the employees to look beyond their interests and work for the interest of the group. This makes it easier to manage the employees and avoid the difficulty of “herding cats”. To become a transformational leader, there is need for hard work and dedication. The management must be ready to take risks and internalise the guiding principles and vision in the organisation. Through strategic management, thinking becomes easy. The organisation boundaries become more flexible and herding employees becomes easy. There is organisational learning and it becomes easy to bring the organisation close to its vision and mission (Miller & Tsang, 2011). The expression leads to need for effective management. Of late, most of the organisations have been looking for ways to increase effectiveness and efficiency. This is through using self-managed teams and empowering the workforce. Managers are highly using technology to make their task of managing more easily. It may take years to come up with an efficient workforce especially in the multinational organisations. Most of the organisations have realised the need for multicultural leaders’ in order to succeed. This has made it mandatory for their international managers to have a certain level of international expertise for them to handle tasks. This has made it prudent to screen new managers on their ability to adapt on new environments (Raduan, Jegak, Haslinda & Alimin, 2009). According to contingency theory, there is nit best way to manage. The management must adapt to different situations that an organisation faces. There are factors to consider such as environmental change and uncertainty. There is also the available technology and the size of the company. Where the environment is stable, mechanistic structure fits well. This is through centralisation and standardisation to attain efficiency and consistency. When the environment is unstable, it would be prudent to use organic structures. This is through ensuring that there is no centralisation and increasing flexibility (Miller & Tsang, 2011). Bennis expression can be solved through the big five personality traits. The traits are; agreeableness, extraversion, conscientiousness, openness and neuroticism. Openness involves being ready to experience and being intellectually curious. Through conscientiousness, a manager is able to show self-discipline and aim at achieving. This helps in regulating the managers’ impulses and need for achievement. Extraversion is based on positive emotions and need to look for the company of others. Extraverts are more comfortable being with people and are full of energy. A manager who is extrovert is full of energy and action oriented. An agreeable manager is friendly and cooperative. They are ready to compromise their interests for the benefit of others. These characteristics are known as enduring characteristics and are very vital in management. They play a big part in successful management and attaining the set goals (Pfeffer, 2005). Despite being a difficult task, management should be carried in such a way that it motivates workers to achieve organisation goals. The demand for energetic and capable managers is high due to the importance of their task. A manager must possess information that makes it easy to make decisions and lead the workers towards the set goals. This makes management of people to be easier unlike herding the cats. Managers must have good strategies that help them to come up with better approach for their work (George, 2009). Conclusion The idiomatic saying by Bennis depicts the challenge of managing and leading people and is very vital in analysing management practices. He compares the task of managing to herding the cats. This is due to chaotic and uncontrollable nature of workers in most cases. Despite his claims, most of the management theories show that it is possible to manage an organisation successfully. Managing is a very important aspect in modern organisations, hence the importance of leading an organisation in an effective manner. Most of the management theories propose ways of management that makes it easier unlike herding the cats. Henri Fayol proposed principles for effective management. His management theories support specialisation, authority, discipline, unit of command, direction, and division of interests and line of authority among other aspects. Mary parker Follet proposed human relation approach to management. She looked at management in a more holistic manner for it to be successful. Managers are supposed to be strategic in their work to avoid failure. Contingency management theory also contradicts Bennis view through showing that managing people can be achieved through situation based management. Despite management being a difficult task, using the right approach makes it easier than “herding the cats”. References Bennis, W. G. 1999. Managing people is like herding cats: Warren Bennis on leadership. Executive Excellence Pub. George, G. R. 2009. Contemporary Management (Sixth ed.). (B. Gordon, Ed.) New York, NY, USA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Gordon, V. H. 2009. “Early twentieth century management theories and models that shaped twenty-first century school leadership.” Journal of Philosophy & History of Education, Vol.59, no.1, p. 67-70. Meredith Belbin, R. 2011. “Management teams: Why they succeed or fail.” Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol.19, no.3, p.234. Miller, K. D., & Tsang, E. W. 2011. “Testing management theories: critical realist philosophy and research methods.” Strategic Management Journal, Vol.32, no.2, p.139-158. Parker, L. D., & Ritson, P. A. 2005. “Revisiting Fayol: anticipating contemporary management.” British Journal of Management, Vol.16, no.3, p.175-194. Pfeffer, J. 2005. “Why do bad management theories persist? A comment on Ghoshal.” Academy of Management Learning & Education, Vol.4, no.1, p.96-100. Raduan, C. R., Jegak, U., Haslinda, A., & Alimin, I. I. 2009. “Management, strategic management theories and the linkage with organizational competitive advantage from the resource-based view.” European Journal of Social Sciences, Vol.11, no.3, p.402-418. Read More