老闆一句話 員工大方向
Welcome to the executive suite. But beware: Your smallest acts can cause big consequences.
Consider Linda Parker Hudson, promoted last fall to run the U.S. arm of BAE Systems PLC, a global defense giant.
She told her top lieutenants that she expected 'rapid responses' to email around the clock. To her surprise, several started sleeping beside their beeping BlackBerry so they could answer her 3 a.m. messages right away.
Ms. Hudson says she repeatedly reassured these colleagues that they could sleep at night and tried to lessen her nocturnal BlackBerry use. But 'it was probably a few months before we all got used to each other,'' she concedes.
Ms. Hudson experienced 'executive amplification,' a widespread phenomenon that can significantly affect your career. When you land a senior post, staffers constantly will scrutinize -- and possibly misconstrue your deeds, dress and words.
Yet power makes you 'less aware that your behavior matters,'' cautions Adam Galinsky, a professor of organizational behavior at Northwestern University's business school. 'That can be a career killer by demoralizing your troops.'' Even lack of eye contact with them as you walk down the hall conveys your disapproval, risking alienation.
Amplification also can work to your advantage because effective, small moves often improve employee motivation. You must recognize that 'leadership is a role, and you are always on,'' says Gary Bradt, an executive coach in Summerfield, N.C. 'Make sure you send the messages that you want to send.''
Ms. Hudson first saw the downside of the amplifier effect when she became the first female division president for General Dynamics Corp. in 1999. During her first week, she wore a new scarf tied in a fancy bow. The next day, she ran into more than a dozen women there wearing scarves tied the same way.
Being watched so closely frightened Ms. Hudson. 'I wasn't accustomed to being the center of attention,'' the 60-year-old executive recalls. 'I felt like I was up on a billboard.''
She soon found herself closely scrutinized again. Touring a division factory months later, Ms. Hudson noticed flyers posted everywhere. They displayed her photo and list of leadership expectations from a recent management team speech.
Thanks to the unanticipated flyers, Ms. Hudson says she realized that amplification represents a potentially positive tool. 'You can change employee behavior by subtle changes in your behavior,'' she explains.
Anton Rabie, president and co-chief executive of Spin Master Ltd., a toy maker, uses a minor symbolic gesture to amplify his deep commitment to taking risks. He mounts failed Spin Master products and misguided mock-ups on a wall of his Toronto office.
'Each one has a lesson that we should remember,'' observes Mr. Rabie, who launched the manufacturer with two classmates in 1994. Staffers viewing his flop-filled wall know 'it's okay to make mistakes,'' he continues. 'It's like walking the talk.'
You may also reap benefits from executive amplification by seeking frequent feedback and making needed corrections. Easier said than done, however.
'As you rise in the ranks, people stop telling you what they should tell you,'' notes Richard A. Davis, a partner at RHR International, an executive-coaching firm, and author of the new book. 'The Intangibles of Leadership.''
He advocates creating a personal board of directors to help identify your blind spots. 'They have to know you and the people around you,'' but work elsewhere than your employer, Dr. Davis recommends.
A performance review known as 360-degree feedback persuaded a newly promoted executive at a multinational apparel concern to alter her misinterpreted appearance, according to Rosemarie Fiorilli, a New York executive coach who advised her this year. The 360-degree process involves anonymous input from peers, subordinates and superiors.
The executive wore designer duds, including luxury-brand jewelry, at a workplace that favors business casual dress, Ms. Fiorilli says.
During 360-degree interviews, co-workers said, 'She's trying to be better than us,'' the coach recollects. 'She was the only one who didn't know this was bothering people.''
Ms. Fiorilli says she warned the executive that the amplified impact of her luxurious look was hurting her group's cohesiveness. The woman 'toned it down immediately,'' the coach adds. 'Her boss said other people had noticed and remarked favorably.''
An associate's frank feedback taught Tim Rice a different amplification lesson. While chief operating officer of Moses Cone Health System in Greensboro, N.C., he visited a friend seated in a chair two days after she underwent open-heart surgery at one of its five hospitals.
Mr. Rice teased her nurse for leaving the woman 'in this chair all day long'' because the patient looked tired. His joke devastated the nurse, 'and she cried afterward,'' the nursing director told Mr. Rice.
He later apologized to the nurse and in front of nearly 150 colleagues, praised the nursing director's candor. Actually, 'I was really afraid to come tell you,'' she replied.
Mr. Rice says he concluded that his high-level title intimidated subordinates, and he should avoid sarcasm 'because everything we do is amplified.'' He took charge of Moses Cone in 2004. But 'I am probably not as open and free and goofy as I have been in the past.''
At the same time, Mr. Rice regularly encourages his team members to suggest ways that he might lead the health-care system better. 'I always say, 'Who is going to tell the CEO that his fly is unzipped?'''歡迎到總裁辦公室走馬上任，但有一點要注意：現在，你最不起眼的小動作也可能導致深遠的影響。
以琳達•哈德森(Linda Parker Hudson)爲例，2009年秋，她成爲全球國防業巨頭BAE系統公司(BAE Systems PLC)美國分部的負責人。
她對自己的直接下屬說，希望他們能一天24小時都對電子郵件有“快速反應”。讓她吃驚的是，好幾個下屬開始把設好提醒聲音的黑莓手機放在枕頭邊上，這樣就能在她半夜三點發出電子郵件後第一時間予以回覆。
哈德森說，她好幾次告訴這些同事，他們可以在晚上好好休息，並嘗試減少自己在夜間使用黑莓手機發郵件的頻率。但她承認，可能過了好幾個月，我們纔開始習慣彼此的工作方式。
哈德森經歷的是一種“管理者影響力放大效應”(executive amplification)，這是一個常見現象，但會極大影響一個人的職業生涯。當你就任一個高級職位時，下屬往往會小心觀察你的舉止、穿着和言論，並可能做出錯誤的理解。
不過，美國西北大學(Northwestern University)商學院組織行爲學教授亞當•加林斯基(Adam Galinsky)說，身居高位讓你對自己行爲所產生的影響不那麼瞭解， 這會讓你帶領的隊伍喪失士氣，從而扼殺你的職業生涯發展。當你走在過道的時候，即使缺乏與下屬的眼神接觸，也會傳遞給下屬一種不認同的感覺，導致員工開始疏遠你。
影響力放大效應也會爲你服務，因爲有效的小舉止往往能提高員工的士氣。北卡羅萊納州Summerfield的企業教練蓋瑞•布萊特(Gary Bradt)說，你必須意識到，領導是一種角色，而你始終處於這個角色之中。你要確保自己釋放出想要釋放的資訊。
1999年，哈德森成爲美國通用動力公司(General Dynamics Corp.)第一位女性部門負責人後，首次嚐到了影響力放大效應的後果。她在上任第一週的某一天，戴了一條新圍巾，並繫了個別致的結。第二天她去上班，發現十幾名女性同事都用相同的繫結方式戴上了圍巾。
受到如此關注把哈德森嚇壞了。現年60歲的哈德森回憶道，我不習慣成爲衆人的焦點。我覺得自己像被掛在布告欄上一樣。
很快，她再次發現自己被人密切關注着。幾個月後，她巡視下屬的一個工廠，發現到處張貼着關於她的東西，不但有她的照片，還有一系列她近期在管理會議中提出的目標要求。
哈德森說，感謝這些出人意料的宣傳單，讓她意識到影響力放大效應也是個潛在的激勵工具。她解釋道，通過微妙地調整自己的行爲，你可以改變員工的行爲方式。
安通•拉比(Anton Rabie)是玩具製造商Spin Master Ltd.的總裁兼聯合首席執行長，1994年和兩名同學一起創建了這家玩具公司。他用一個不起眼但具有象徵意味的做法來充分展現他願意承擔風險以使企業進步的決心。他在多倫多辦公室的牆上掛上Spin Master的失敗產品以及誤入歧途的設計模型。
拉比說，牆上的每一件東西都代表着我們應該記住的一個教訓。員工看到他辦公室的這面牆壁，就知道在創新中犯錯誤是被允許的，這就是一種言傳身教。
你也可以從影響力放大效應中獲益，比如經常尋求員工回饋，並做出必要的改進。不過，這說起來容易做起來難。
RHR International企業培訓公司的合夥人、新書《領導力的無形資產》(The Intangibles of Leadership)的作者理查德•大衛斯(Richard A. Davis)說，你的職位上升後，人們不再說出他們應該告訴你的事情。
大衛斯提倡領導者要有一個像董事會那樣的私人智囊圈，幫自己發現盲點。大衛斯建議，這些人必須瞭解你，也瞭解你周圍的人，但應該在別的公司工作。
紐約的企業教練羅斯瑪麗•費奧利尼(Rosemarie Fiorilli)說，她今年給某跨國服裝企業一位新上任的女高管做培訓顧問，用一種被稱之爲360度回饋的績效評估法說服她改變自己遭到別人誤解的外型。360度評估法讓同級別同事、下屬和上級匿名對一個人做出全方位的評價。
費奧利尼說，那名女高管喜歡穿設計師設計的衣服，戴奢侈品牌的珠寶，而她所在的公司提倡穿商務休閒服裝。
在360度評測中，女高管的同事說：她想穿得比我們好。 費奧利尼回憶道：只有那個女高管自己不知道這種穿着讓人不快。
費奧利尼說，她警告那位女高管，喜歡奢侈品牌的行爲方式經過影響力放大效應後會損害自己團隊的凝聚力。費奧利尼說，那位女高管馬上就從頭到腳換了個打扮，她的上司表示，其他人馬上就注意到這種轉變，並給予好評。
同事坦誠的回饋意見從另一個角度讓提姆•萊斯(Tim Rice)瞭解到影響力放大效應的存在。萊斯是北卡羅萊納州格林斯博羅市(Greensboro) Moses Cone健康系統公司(Moses Cone Health System)的首席運營長。他去公司經營的五家醫院中的一家探訪一位兩天前剛做完心臟手術並坐在輪椅上休養的朋友。
萊斯跟照顧那位朋友的護士開玩笑，說她不該讓病人“整天呆在那張輪椅上”，因爲病人看上去很疲憊。他的玩笑嚇壞了護士，護士長對萊斯說，“她後來都哭了。”
後來，萊斯當着近150名同事的面，向那個護士道歉，並表揚護士長的直言不諱。那名護士長回答道，其實，我真的很害怕跟你說出實情。
萊斯說，他得出一個結論，自己的高職位會讓下屬害怕，他應該避免說俏皮話，“因爲我們的一言一行在別人眼裏都會被放大。”他是2004年執掌Moses Cone公司的，但“跟以往相比，我可能沒有那麼暢所欲言，也很少故做傻事了。”
同時，萊斯經常鼓勵自己的團隊成員向他提建議，幫他更好地帶領公司發展。“我總是說，‘誰來說出老闆的褲子拉鍊沒拉好？’”
