Management Through Implied Violence
Its clear in today's litigius and left wing leaning society that the act of physical punishment for ones staff is frowned upon and these days will only result in a visit by the police or an inconvenient law suit that no one really needs in these hectic times.
However much research has gone into the schools of thought who believe there is no need for physical violence if there is enough belief in the staff that violence could occur should they not step up to the mark and jolly well start pulling their weight.
The human psyche is still controlled by a pack mentality, where members of the pack ( staff ) strive to be liked by the head of the pack ( or Project Manager in these modern days ). In mans earliest days, the pack leader would carry out swift and direct punishment against transgressors from a minor beating for day to day problems, through to the ultimate sacrifice for those who truly stepped outside the mark. ( Typically contractors these days ).
With all things there must be balance and therefore with punishment comes reward, again in the early days this would be through the offering of a piece of bone or marrow from the days kill, however today its a quick word of praise, or a gentle pat on the back and a smile, however even the act of not half killing an individual concerned can often be considered reward enough by some, often the younger members of the pack ( team ).
So how as a manager can you strive to maintain control over your team? First is the persona, the staff must believe you would actually maim them for fun just for letting the printer run out of ink. This is easy through the telling of hushed tales either late at night or down the pub to one or 2 of the more susceptible employees. These tales must include tales of past glories and daring, leaving out no detail of the swift execution of a junior tester for finding a new P1 bug the night before go live, or the paralysing of a business analyst for suggesting a new requirement once the documents have been signed off.
Once the persona ( or reputation ) is established it becomes a question of maintenance, keeping the staff on their toes with an often unexpected outburst timed against the most timid or psychologically unstable member of staff. Ignore the old management style of praise in public, bollock in private, sod it, let rip right in front of the whole team, let them know the true might of your voice, bellow, shout and if possible get a really red face with a vain or 2 really pulsing on the forehead if possible. Thus the tempo is maintained.
Unfortunately at some point in the project some one is going to call your bluff and either stand up to you and actually require a damn good thrashing. The options are limited but not entirely impossible to put into action. If the individual is bigger than you, harder than you, or god forbid a valuable member of the team, then key point is to divert their attention, making them believe that although they have a valid point more important matters need your attention. This is normally done through the ritual selection and firing of a junior/weaker member of staff.
The firing must be public, it must be quick, and it must be loud leaving you panting, sweating and if you can arrange it ( through a previous night getting gloriously drunk ) shaking. Everyone now knows the sort of person you are, and the person who called your bluff now knows you are serious and will skunk off to hide in his corner.
Thus entirely through the implied threat of violence to ones staff can an even half decent project manager maintain a team, often getting them to deliver significantly more in less time that would have been considered healthy.
Did you enjoy this "If Only", hopefully it will make you think about what it means and how bullying in all aspects of life should never be tolerated, here at magneticreason we support all anti-bullying initiatives not just in the workplace, but also with schools and the outside world. There is never an excuse for it. To find out more about anti-bullying and what you can do to help stamp it out visit the following links