SickChicken

Who Should Lead the Dysfunctional Organization?

Why the short term leader isn't in it for the long term.

Often people are surprised to find themselves leading a dysfunctional organization. This wasn't their intention. All they wanted was a normal job in a normal company. Yet suddenly here they are in charge of a dysfunctional organization. How did it happen?

Internal Paths to Leading a Dysfunctional Organization

• You are the only one left.
  One of the characteristics of a Dysfunctional Organization is that people are becoming disillusioned and leaving. Sometimes this results in a situation where someone who wasn't expecting to do anything soon, is thrust into a leadership position simply because everyone else who had the job left. Or perhaps everybody hasn't left, but they have refused to take the leadership position.

  Time to do a gut check - are you the person to lead this, or should you go running screaming out the door? Or can you handle it with help?

• You succeeded somewhere else.

  Nothing smells quite as good as success, but of course nothing smells quite as much as the next mess they put you in once you've succeeded. Sometimes companies choose those who've succeeded in what they see as a demanding role to be sent to "fix" the problems elsewhere. Of course, they may not realize that the "problems" in the new position are just symptoms of a larger dysfunction. Or that you succeeded in the last position through luck. Or that the problems in the new organization are different from the old problems, and you don't know where to begin. Or that you fixed the problems in your last position so that you could get the chance to enjoy a nice relaxed environment. Or that it was just pure dumb luck that things worked out before, and now?

  The first step is of course the screaming door test. If running sounds like a good idea, seriously consider it. Otherwise, buckle down, get serious, and get help.

• You created the mess yourself.

  Well, suddenly, during a blinding flash of light, you discover that your organization is dysfunctional, and worse yet, you made it that way. Likely to happen? Well, it could...

  While recognizing the problem is the first step toward a solution. It isn't the only step. This one calls for long hard thought. If you made it so dysfunctional then are you really going to be able to change yourself enough to fix it, and are you really going to be able to rally the support of the organization to be successful. If after long careful consideration you are ready, be sure to get help.

New Leaders coming from outside of the Organization

• You thought it was just a nice place to work.

  Well either someone didn't do their homework, or someone else hid things very well. Either way, sometime in the first week or two, the realization comes upon you that now you are leading a dysfunctional organization - Whoops!! Suddenly, every where you look, the signs are there. Problems are all over.

  Now you need to decide if you really want to do this. The sooner the better. If you are not absolutely convinced, then for your own sanity, run screaming out the door, because things are only going to get more difficult, and you need your full commitment to succeed. If you don't have experience in this situation, but still want to fix things, then study hard and get help where you can.

• They were looking for someone just like them.

  Well, maybe you didn't do your homework, or maybe they kept things hidden, but this is even worse. Not only is the organization dysfunctional, but the people who hired you expect them to act just like them. If you are, you'll perpetuate the dysfunction, but if you're not, then you will be in for a serious struggle without the support you need.

  This kind of a situation cries out for running out the door screaming. It is very hard to succeed, and even if you are successful, you may not get any recognition for your success. If you decide to stay, then build yourself an external support system, get help, and prepare to work hard.

• Surprise! Sure it was just a few problems.

  Well they were open and up front when they brought you in, but now when you get there, you find out that things were far worse than you thought, or even imagined. As a result, now you are having second thoughts about what else you may uncover.

  This isn't really so bad. You knew there were problems going in, and it isn't unusual for there to be other issues as well. The good news is that the people who brought you in knew there were problems too, and will probably support getting them fixed. If after careful thought, you decide that you didn't bite off more than you can chew, then dig in and have fun. Use resources available and get help where you can.

• You are sick, masochistic and specialize in Dysfunctional Organizations.

  Well, you asked for it! Naturally, we can assume that you had strong indications that something was wrong before you decided to tackle the organization.

  Now let's dig in and have some fun getting everything sorted out. Just remember that there are still things you may find that flash the warning: Leave Immediately!

Leading a Dysfunctional Organization is not for everyone. There are personalities who do well with dysfunctional organizations, and then there are those who do damage to the organizations, or to themselves. In between are the people who, while they may not flourish, just don't get the job done. Some of the traits that can contribute to success include:
Proactive, Resourceful, Restless, Independent, Quick-learner, Action Oriented, Decisive, Multi-tasking, Focused, Disciplined Thinking, Experienced, Grasps the big Picture, Integrity, Risk-taker,

Proactive - The person who takes on a dysfunctional company can't afford to sit and wait to be told what needs to be done next. They need to be able to get up wander down the hall, dig out the next problem and tackle it without someone telling them that it needs to be done. That doesn't mean that they don't listen when others tell them what needs to be done, or seek help from others, it just means that they are able to figure out the rest of what needs doing themselves.
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Resourceful - Every heard the saying "We've been doing so much, with so little, for so long, that if we got what we needed we wouldn't know what to do with it"? Well, that won't cut it, the leader in the dysfunctional organization needs to be able to be sure that everything is already there so that the people in the organization don't have to work without the things they really need. Sometimes that means being creative and inventive in getting those things, sometimes that means figuring out what is really needed. Just to add to the challenge, of course, no one is going to give you the information, resources, or assistance you need. You just have to figure out how to do it yourself.
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Restless - the leader in a dysfunctional organization needs to be restless, always looking for the next opportunity. That may be the one that provides what you need to fix things. The leader wanders up and down the halls seeking opportunity, seeking challenge, and is anxious if everything is going peacefully and smoothly. This is good, it means that when opportunity is ready to be found, he finds it.
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Independent - The leader in the dysfunctional organization needs to be able to zig when everyone else is zagging. It may be because the leader sees something others don't, or it may be because the leader knows that the best thing is to stay the course. Either way, the need to do what everyone else is doing is just not important.
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Quick Learner - The leader in the dysfunctional organization needs to be a quick learner. There is no way anyone can ever come into a job knowing everything about it. This is particularly true with a dysfunctional organization. But the leader needs to be able to quickly learn the essentials of the position, the industry, and anything else which affects the organization. Further, there isn't time to do this slowly and methodically.
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Action Oriented - Standing by and watching is not going to resolve any problems. They don't just go away if you ignore them for long enough. The leader who succeeds will go out looking for things to do, find them and start doing something, anything, just do it! This is not a person to stand around.
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Decisive - Perhaps this is another way of saying action oriented, but if it is that's ok, this can't be emphasized enough. The ability to make a decision is critical. Remember, a poor decision well executed is better than a good decision poorly executed, and no decision is a poor decision, poorly executed. So figure it out, decide, and get on with it.
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Multi-tasking - In a dysfunctional organization everything happens at once. There is never a single crisis, they come in threes (or more) so the leader needs to be prepared to handle everything all at once. Sound difficult? Then stay away.
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Not everybody has the skills, temperament, or desire to lead in a dysfunctional organization. Fortunately there are alternatives. The first alternative is to start running screaming out the door. This is not a bad thing. You spare yourself ulcers, aggravation, frustration, and heart attacks. You spare the company having to figure out how to nicely tell you it just isn't working (OK, perhaps they won't be so nice). Best of all, it leaves the position available for someone who can fix things (provided, of course, that they actually put someone like that into the position). One last thought. Tell them on the way out what kind of a person they need. They may listen, and if so, it will help both them and the person who takes the position.

OK, so running screaming out the door is not an option. Perhaps you really need this job. Perhaps your father-in-law owns the company. Or maybe you've just convinced yourself you are up for the challenge and want to use it as a growth experience. Then what do you do?

The first thing is to look at yourself and ask whether you can change to adopt the necessary traits. Then study hard and work at those you can. Practice making decisions, and sticking with them. Practice going your own way. Figure out which traits you can adopt, and which ones you will need help with.

Seek professional help! No that doesn't mean wander down to your local shrink and try to figure out why you want do do this in the first place. It means seek out people who have experience working in dysfunctional organizations, people w ho have experience in the areas you lack it, or people who can supply the traits you just can't muster. Then you've found them, lean on them, use them, and learn from them. Remember, there will come a time when, the you don't need to be like them, when their traits are not what's good for the organization, and yours are.