Comments on: Bill Baker on the BBC http://www.wliw.org/leadingwithkindness/audio/bill-baker-on-the-bbc/65/ Just another WLIW21 weblog Tue, 12 May 2009 11:34:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Ken Morris http://www.wliw.org/leadingwithkindness/audio/bill-baker-on-the-bbc/65/comment-page-1/#comment-125 Ken Morris Sun, 25 Jan 2009 02:09:37 +0000 http://www.thirteen.org/leadingwithkindness/?p=86#comment-125 I agree with the authors whole heartedly! I'm a retired USMC Officer and always led with kindness. Nobody eve got anything done by themselves, leadership is al about the follower the leader is really a facilatator. do they make decisions, yes, but not in a vacuum; do they hold others accountable, yes but the object is have the person hold themselves accountable. The book is groundbreaking; however, the only people who read it and practice the recommendations are the onesthat already believe in it's message. Semper Fi. Ken Morris I agree with the authors whole heartedly! I’m a retired USMC Officer and always led with kindness. Nobody eve got anything done by themselves, leadership is al about the follower the leader is really a facilatator. do they make decisions, yes, but not in a vacuum; do they hold others accountable, yes but the object is have the person hold themselves accountable. The book is groundbreaking; however, the only people who read it and practice the recommendations are the onesthat already believe in it’s message.

Semper Fi.
Ken Morris

]]> By: James Marshall http://www.wliw.org/leadingwithkindness/audio/bill-baker-on-the-bbc/65/comment-page-1/#comment-124 James Marshall Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:36:22 +0000 http://www.thirteen.org/leadingwithkindness/?p=86#comment-124 In 1992, I started work at a large UK brewer. They had just received the report on a survey of employees at all levels on their opinion of their work environment. The main result was summarised in one graphic contrasting the pessimism of front-line workers with the optimism of senior managers: workers were rained on at ground level while the managers were "above the weather" in the sunshine. It showed how, at every level, employees painted a slightly rosier picture to their bosses, so that by the time it reached senior levels the picture was much prettier than reality. The "kind" managers may certainly have received more honest responses from those reporting to them, but did they feel they could report this upwards as honestly? What is the "critical mass" of kind managers in an organisation? In my personal experience, there's an incredible amount of time and energy spent on the relationships between managers that could be more profitably focussed on the business, as well as the truism of higher productivity on days when managers are away, for example, on off-site events. Perhaps we need fewer levels as well as more humane management. In 1992, I started work at a large UK brewer. They had just received the report on a survey of employees at all levels on their opinion of their work environment. The main result was summarised in one graphic contrasting the pessimism of front-line workers with the optimism of senior managers: workers were rained on at ground level while the managers were “above the weather” in the sunshine.

It showed how, at every level, employees painted a slightly rosier picture to their bosses, so that by the time it reached senior levels the picture was much prettier than reality.

The “kind” managers may certainly have received more honest responses from those reporting to them, but did they feel they could report this upwards as honestly? What is the “critical mass” of kind managers in an organisation?

In my personal experience, there’s an incredible amount of time and energy spent on the relationships between managers that could be more profitably focussed on the business, as well as the truism of higher productivity on days when managers are away, for example, on off-site events. Perhaps we need fewer levels as well as more humane management.

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