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The Yes-Sir Manager
Working across the divide
Have you ever had a manager who routinely passes on directives from senior leaders for you to sort out? I call this the "Yes, Sir" manager, as they are constantly saying yes to requests from their senior stakeholder without asking questions or negotiating terms, and their teams suffer for it. This is the phenomenon we are exploring in this article.
When Your Manager Can’t Say No
Imagine this scenario:
During a high-stakes quarterly review, the executive team was eager to impress the board with ambitious plans for the upcoming year. They proposed launching three new initiatives simultaneously, each requiring significant resources and team effort. As they laid out the timeline, it became clear that the deadlines were tight, and the expectations were overambitious.
James, the senior leader of the operations team, had his reservations. He knew his team was already stretched thin, and that adding these projects would mean late nights, potential burnouts, and a risk of compromising the quality of work. As the executives finished their presentation, they turned to James, seeking his commitment to deliver on these initiatives.
There was a palpable tension in the room. James hesitated, his mind racing with the implications of the decision. Finally, he nodded, "We'll make it work," he said, trying to sound confident.
The executives left the meeting pleased, but James' team members exchanged worried glances. James was a nice person to work with, but they knew that his inability to push back meant they'd be bearing the brunt of the workload. It was a pattern they had seen before, the classic experience of working with a Yes-Sir Manager.
Recognizing the Yes-Sir Manager
The Yes-Sir Manager is a leadership archetype that finds it hard to say no. Their primary motivation is to seek approval and validation. They fear rejection and, as a result, often bend their own needs to align with the majority or with those in power, even when doing so has a negative impact on their teams or their own workload and productivity.
Let's delve deeper into their key characteristics:
At the core of the Yes-Sir Manager's persona is a natural inclination is to agree, not necessarily because they believe it's the right course of action, but because they value harmony over discord. Closely tied to their agreeable nature is the Yes-Sir Manager's tendency to appease. They often prioritize the decisions and opinions of others over their own, especially those in positions of authority. This need for external validation can sometimes overshadow their own judgment, leading them to make choices that align more with what they believe others want to hear rather than what they truly feel to be the right thing to do. This often drives them to conform, even when they might have valuable dissenting viewpoints to offer.
They are often the ones who avoid conflicts, smooth over disagreements, and try to compromise wherever possible. On the one hand, it’s because they want to appear competent and in charge, even when it would be wiser to politely decline, make a counter-proposal or request additional resources. On the other hand, the Yes-Sir Manager dreads the idea of being isolated or alienated because of their opinions. Instead, their instinct is to go to great lengths to ensure that they deliver what they have promised, even if it means sacrificing their own wellbeing or that of their team.
While the Yes-Sir Manager is typically predictable in their agreeableness, they can occasionally surprise their peers by pushing back. These rare moments of dissent often result in an angry outburst of accumulated frustration or even a burnout, which leads to weeks of absence. However, because these moments are infrequent, they can catch their colleagues off guard, leading to confusion or even mistrust.
"No, Thanks" to "Yes, Sir"
The Yes-Sir Manager's natural inclination to prioritize harmony and avoid conflict can have unintended consequences on team dynamics and performance. By not setting clear boundaries or pushing back on unrealistic expectations, the Yes-Sir Manager invariably sets their team up for overwhelm and potential burnout. Team members, recognizing this pattern, might become hesitant to act proactively or suggest new initiatives, fearing that it will only add to their already overflowing plate.
Moreover, this leadership style can erode trust within the team. When team members sense that their manager might not hold ground when challenged by peers or stakeholders, they begin to doubt the manager's commitment to their well-being and the team's collective goals. The underlying sentiment becomes one of feeling unsupported, with team members believing that their manager won't stand up for them when the going gets tough.
Ironically, while the Yes-Sir Manager is generally considered to be a nice person, their sporadic moments of frustration can further destabilize the team's trust. These unexpected outbursts not can amplify the feeling of uncertainty among team members. The result is a team environment characterized by apprehension, mistrust, and a sense of being perpetually stressed.
Managing Up Strategies
If your line manager is a Yes-Sir person, managing up requires a delicate balance of assertiveness, understanding, and empathetic communication. The focus should be on making any idea you propose easy to pitch and defend when presented to senior management.
An effective starting point is to anticipate the Yes-Sir Manager’s needs and priorities, and empathise with the pressures they might be facing. Presenting clear, data-driven proof-points can empower your manager to make informed decisions and to feel more confident about potentially pushing back on unrealistic expectations from higher-ups. It provides them with the necessary tools to advocate for the team when faced with external pressures.
However, while being proactive is essential, it's equally crucial for you to set clear boundaries and communicate the importance of balancing growing demands with realistic expectations. Inform the Yes-Sir manager proactively of the team's limited capacity and the potential risks of overloading, as well as the impact on the quality of the work delivered. Advocating for one another is another effective strategy. When team members unite and present a cohesive front, their concerns and suggestions carry more weight, making it harder for them to be overlooked or dismissed.
Adopting these strategies ensures that both your needs as a team and those of your Yes-Sir Manager are aligned in an effective and productive way.
Final Thoughts
While the Yes-Sir Manager's behaviour can pose challenges, it's essential to recognize their positive attributes. Their natural inclination towards harmony often creates a cohesive and collaborative work environment. Their genuine desire to please can foster strong interpersonal relationships and smooth over potential conflicts. However, like all leadership styles, it's about balance and understanding.
Approaching the Yes-Sir Manager with empathy allows for a deeper appreciation of their motivations and challenges. Clear communication ensures that both parties are aligned in their objectives and expectations. And, at the heart of any successful professional relationship lies mutual trust and respect.
By fostering these elements, both the team and the Yes-Sir Manager can thrive, leveraging each other's strengths to achieve collective success.
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