Why So Much Malpractice?
Management malpractice has become accepted as “standard operating procedure” in far too many organizations today. Sadly, leaders and managers in such organizations are expected to demean, manipulate, deceive, oppress, abuse and injure their people. When they don’t, their employees are surprised. How sick is that? People are becoming increasingly distrustful and cynical about their organizations because too many of their leaders and managers either unconsciously allow or openly foster management malpractice in their organizations and because not enough of their co-workers are willing or able to stand up against it. We need a revolution—a workers revolution that includes both employees and employers—to stop this growing epidemic of management malpractice before it destroys us and our organizations. Join the cause, start a revolution in your organization. Tell the world your management malpractice stories, try something new, but do something today to expose the destructive force of management malpractice in your organization.
Truly Great Organizations
What about so-called great companies such as Coca-Cola, Rubbermaid, Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble, 3M, Merck, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, General Electric, Intel, Boeing, Hewlett-Packard, Berkshire Hathaway, Southwest Airlines, IBM, the Home Depot, J.P. Morgan, and Dow Jones—all of which have appeared at least five times on Fortune magazine’s annual list of America’s most admired companies during the past twenty years? No, these companies are not immune to management malpractice (read the news, even the most-admired organizations make mistakes), but when management malpractice occurs in truly great companies, the leaders and managers in those companies quickly and openly work to address the malpractice in a sincere effort to prevent it from happening again. For both good and ill, the management principles developed and honed by excellent companies are emulated by thousands of organizations throughout the world. The good, of course, comes from the unifying and galvanizing effect of great management principles and strong corporate values on people and corporate cultures. The ill, on the other hand, arises when managers and leaders fail to practice these principles, or practice them inconsistently, resulting in work cultures of contradiction and absurdity that can turn leadership truths into lies—lies that, if left unexposed and uncorrected, constitute management malpractice.
Always Existed
Even though management malpractice has reached epidemic proportions in recent years, it has always existed. Whenever people have come together in groups—families, tribes, communities, work groups, corporations, nations and societies—in search of survival, justice, order and prosperity, management malpractice has inevitably followed because human beings are innately egotistical, biased and flawed. The problem is that more people are affected by management malpractice today than in any other age, not only because of the world’s burgeoning population but also because of the enormous influence that formal and informal organizations have on people’s lives. If we don’t stop this epidemic of malpractice, it will eventually destroy our institutions, our business environments and our way of life. We need a workers’ revolution—one that includes both employers and employees—to bring about dramatic improvements with lasting changes in the workplace.
How Do We Stop It?
Overcoming management malpractice will require more than new laws, regulations, rules, systems, penalties, punishments and remedies, because management malpractice thrives in highly structured and disciplined hierarchies. Only senior executives, middle managers, first line employees, entrepreneurs and professional service providers who develop an awareness to see it, the courage to expose it and a firm resolve to prevent it from happening again and again in the workplace have a chance to eliminate management malpractice in their organizations. Remember, once exposed, management malpractices can never have the same smothering and stifling effect upon you and your organization that they previously had. In fact, ongoing exposure of management malpractices fosters a transparent working environment where individuals, teams and leaders can work together more openly, honestly and collaboratively to prevent malpractice in the future.
How Prevalent is Management Malpractice?
It’s rampant. Every organization on earth suffers from it to some degree. According to a recent Gallup Poll, published by Gallup Management Journal, over 70% of today’s workers are disengaged at work, often because of “negative workplace relationships.” And, it’s getting worse. Why? Because too many of today’s leaders and managers either unconsciously allow or openly foster management malpractice in their organizations and because not enough of today’s workers are willing or able to stand up against it.
Greatest Obstacle to Greatness
What is the single greatest obstacle preventing organizations from becoming great–achieving superior results, exceeding customer expectations, attracting and retaining talent, developing leaders, and creating work environments where people at all levels can learn and grow and prosper? The answer is painfully simple: Management Malpractice—abuses of power, knowledge and relationships that bog down systems, frustrate people, thwart teamwork, divert focus, and compromise results. What exactly is management malpractice? Any organizational practice or activity that makes it difficult for people to perform their jobs, develop themselves, coordinate with others, find fulfillment, create value and get results for themselves and their organizations. It occurs when management principles or corporate values are preached but not practiced and always involves an abuse of power, knowledge or relationships. Management malpractices at all levels in an organization must be constantly exposed and routinely eliminated if the enterprise expects to achieve and sustain greatness.
Management Malpractice Exposed
Cynicism and distrust are rampant in today’s business environment. Eighty percent of employees want nothing to do with their organizations, or the managers who run them. Great management principles, historically the backbone of truly excellent companies, are now often distorted and manipulated by corporate leaders for their own gain.
If left unchecked, these once great principles turn into malpractices that damage morale, thwart productivity, and destroy companies. Management Malpractice provides practical prescriptions for preventing and curing abuses, and shows how individuals, teams and leaders can work together to restore value to their organizations.