15A. Are You a Control Freak?
The theme song of the control freak should be I Did It My Way (and You Will, Too) [author Les] Parrott says....

Readers wrote him tales about their least-favorite type: the control freak....

They object to what Parrott calls the tools of the control trade: "showing false friendliness, giving expensive gifts, making empty promises, sulking, shouting, nagging, being chronically late, withholding affection, bullying, badgering, or just plain bossing the people around them."

Questions: Sound like anyone you know? What lessons about influence do control freaks need to learn?

For further information about the interactive annotations in this chapter, visit our Web site /business/kreitner/management/9e/students/annotations.

Author Notes 15-A: Are You a Control Freak? Jokes are still made about henpecked husbands or wives, and much of the description of a control freak matches those controlling spouses. But if you take a closer look at the list, it's also not that far removed from the characteristics of an abusive spouse. Control freaks at their worst become abusers. There are sanctuaries for people who are ready to leave an abusive marriage, but what about those people who have a job they love or need and are dealing with a control freak (read abusive) boss? Often the only option is to suffer the situation or leave, because top management may read control freak as "in charge." Control freaks need to discover that control is at best a temporary illusion, and at worst the one thing that will take their ultimate control away. They also need to learn that there are much better ways to accomplish what you want, without the psychological damage to yourself and those around you.

15B. Authority to Do What?
The secret of today's most successful power players: They are candid about what their formal authority is, bring it out into the open, and give it away.

Thomas A. Stewart, "Get with the New Power Game," Fortune (January 13, 1997): 60.

Questions: How does this perspective differ from traditional beliefs about managerial power? Why wouldn't a manager who adopted this approach to power be considered weak and ineffective?

Author Notes 15-B: Authority to Do What? Is power a limited resource? According to the old vision of power, the more you gave away, the less you had. The old smoke-filled room perspective included excluding people from access to information--even if it affected people's ability to do their jobs. Today, that perspective is as dated as smoke-filled rooms. Many (though not all) leaders understand that the more power you give away to others, the more you have yourself. There is no power shortage in an organization, as long as the people in charge recognize its unlimited availability and potential.

15C. Empowerment in Action
Ron Ferner, former Campbell's Soup Co. vice president:

One time a packaging team in Sacramento was having problems with boxes breaking. Some of us managers started talking to them about what the problems were and realized they really had a good handle on what was wrong. So we said, "Why don't you guys call the supplier?" Then we called the supplier to tell them they would be hearing from our crew, and they said, "Why not have them talk directly to our hourly employees?"

If the managers alone had tried to solve this problem, it would have gone on forever. Instead, we rented a van, sent our people over, and solved the whole thing. Afterward, we had a party. It gave the workers great confidence.

As quoted in Thea Singer, "Share It All with Employees, Soup to Nuts," Inc. Tech, no. 1 (1999): 48.

Questions: Why do many managers who say they believe in empowering employees fail to do it? Can empowerment be carried too far? Explain.

Author Notes 15-C: Empowerment in Action For a manager, empowering employees can be a scary thing. Most managers realize that you can delegate power, but not final responsibility. If a department's team makes a big mistake, often the manager is penalized, even in a company that claims to believe in empowerment. In other cases, managers are not really as ready to give up control over the department as they claim to be. Don't confuse conversation with conversion. Talking about empowerment has little to do with making it happen. Successfully empowering employees is a very demanding task for a manager. Empowerment can be carried too far. If employees are given complete power, it may mean that managers have abdicated their responsibilities. Also, if employees are given decision-making power without the proper training and information, mistakes will be made, which will be discouraging for both the employees and the managers involved.

15D. Back to the Opening Case
How would you rate Pat Carmichael's emotional intelligence? Explain. How does her EQ help her as a manager, leader, and mentor?

Author Notes 15-D: Back to the Opening Case Pat Carmichael's EQ seems to be quite high. Her awareness of her capabilities as a mentor are balanced--she doesn't underestimate or overestimate her influence. She also recognizes the value of mentoring nonminorities, both for them and because she was mentored by white males as she moved up.

15E. Back to the Opening Case


Where would you plot Pat Carmichael on Blake and McCanse's Leadership GridŽ? Why? Is this particular style the best for her present situation? Why or why not?

Author Notes 15-E: Back to the Opening Case Pat is in the Team management category on the Leadership Grid. Her commitment to mentoring, particularly mentoring minorities, shows an understanding of the "common stake." It's also clear that her goal is to develop and maintain relationships based on trust and respect. At the same time, accomplishment and task success must be important to her, or she would never have achieved the high position she currently holds.

15F. Closet Autocrats?
Results of a 15-year study of how 41,000 middle-to-upper managers actually make decisions:

...managers are only slightly more likely to be inclusive in decisions today than they were 15 years ago--35 percent of managers surveyed between 1985 and 1987 preferred the autocratic style versus 31 percent of the managers surveyed between 1997 and 1999.

Valeria Maltoni, marketing specialist, Destiny WebSolutions Inc.:

It's okay to ask for help. In any situation, whenever I think that I have more to give than I have to get, I'm wrong. I can always learn from others. Sometimes leaders have trouble asking for help.

Jeff Barbian, "The Tyranny of Managers," Training, 39 (January 2002): 19; and "Fearless in Philly," Fast Company, no 47 (June 2001): 36.

Questions: Why are managers still falling back on the old command-and-control approach to leading? How will things tend to work out for them? Explain.

Author Notes 15-F: Closet Autocrats? The command and control approach to leading is so much easier for most of us. In the first place, we have a tendency to assume our opinion, decision, or perspective is right, so it's hard to convince ourselves that talking to others about it will make for better decisions. In addition, in times of high productivity (and probably high stress) how enthusiastic do you think the average manager will be about pulling people off work they're already staying late to do in order to take even more time to form a consensus? This perspective is fine in the short-run, but costly in the long-run. Sooner or later your so-called consensus group will look up from their work and realize you're making all the decisions without them, and your credibility will go out the window. In addition, guess what? Your opinions, decisions, and perspectives may not be the best, but you don't know, you didn't ask anyone else. So instead of taking advantage of the broader group capabilities, you have ensured that your team can't perform at its best. They'll have to settle for your best, and that may be a lousy thing to do to your team.

15G. A Moral Compass for Leaders
Frances Hesselbein, the woman responsible for revitalizing the Girl Scouts of the USA:

Leadership is not a basket of tricks or skills. It is the quality and character and courage of the person who is the leader. It's a matter of ethics and moral compass, the willingness to remain highly vulnerable.

As quoted in Ani Hadjian, "Follow the Leader," Fortune (November 27, 1995): 96.

Questions: How well does Hesselbein's description tie in with the concept of transformational leadership? Explain. Is she really describing a servant leader? Explain.

Author Notes 15-G: A Moral Compass for Leaders It takes courage to change, and it takes a lot of courage to lead others into change. Taking risks, being vulnerable, these are all part of being a transformational leader. When you add in the moral compass, you reach the level of servant leader--focusing on others. This is the highest level a leader can aspire to. Do you have the courage to become this type of leader? Do you think such leaders exist? Would you follow one?

15H. Back to the Opening Case
Which of the mentor functions in Table 15.5 are evident in this case? Explain. Why is Pat Carmichael an especially good mentor?

Author Notes 15-H: Back to the Opening Case Sponsorship: It seems she does this with everyone she mentors. Exposure and visibility: The case talks about her introducing others to higher management--particularly giving minorities the chance to meet other minorities in positions of responsibility. Coaching: She gives advice to them and talks to them at least once a month. Challenging assignments: She encouraged John Imperiale to take on a more challenging role and expand beyond the analytical. Psychosocial functions: It's clear from how she talks about her mentoring role that many of these traits are part of her approach to mentoring.

15I. Zap 'Em!
Catherine Muther, who retired early in the mid-1990s from Cisco Systems with millions of dollars in company stock:

In that male-dominated company, Muther pushed for a change. She gave other executives electronic "zappers" with flashing red lights. They were used to make a buzzing sound whenever someone made a sexist remark during management meetings, says Cisco Chairman John Morgridge. "She certainly was a major factor in bringing the gender issue to Cisco," he says.

Jim Hopkins, "Philanthropist Nurtures Tech Start-Ups by Women," USA Today (January 22, 2002): 12B.

Questions: Which behavior modification tactic did Muther use? Explain. Why was it apparently effective?

Author Notes 15-I: Zap 'em! It was punishment (contingent presentation of an aversive stimulus). I for one would not want to get zapped in a meeting. I would think whatever point I was trying to make would be lost if there were suddenly a lot of zapping noises in the room. This reminds me of the bell or buzzer that is used in Toastmasters--sounded every time someone says "um." There is also an "um counter" who keeps track of your ums and lets you know how many slipped out at the end of your speech. This zapper tactic is effective because it creates an awareness of sexist remarks. Noticing a problem is the first step toward fixing it. Many of these behaviors are habits, developed during a lifetime where no one cared about sexist remarks except women.