Post by Seagull management in a compan on Nov 5, 2024 6:51:52 GMT
Seagull management is a style of interaction with employees in which the manager unexpectedly appears, causing a lot of noise, and then just as unexpectedly “flies away”, leaving behind chaos that subordinates have to deal with.
In this article we will tell you why this management style is dangerous and how to deal with it.
How the term came about and why seagulls are dangerous
Seagull management became famous in 1985 thanks to a joke in the book Leadership and the One Minute Management by Kenneth shopify website design Blanchard, Patricia and Drea Zigarmi: “Seagull managers fly in, make a lot of noise, nuts on everyone, and fly away.” The description was so vivid and accurate that it turned into a professional term.
This type of management is dangerous for a company for several reasons:
loss of motivation;
emotional burnout;
increased staff turnover (the best ones leave);
creating an atmosphere of fear;
deterioration in business results.
Research also shows that subordinates who are “seagulls” have a 30% higher risk of developing coronary heart disease. This is due to the constant stress, pressure and negative emotions that can arise as a result of such “manager attention.”
survey platform
Find out the opinion
of employees
Just!
How does a seagull manager behave?
He names all the deadlines with a large margin
The real deadline is kept secret for some reason. For example, if work needs to be submitted on Thursday, the deadline is Monday. At the same time, the manager constantly "hurries" the employee, saying that this is a very urgent task, and every 30 minutes asking what stage the project is at.
Chaika management
How not to set deadlines
Lack of clarity about the actual deadline and constant pressure from the manager can negatively affect the quality of work and the employee's well-being.
Appears when a problem occurs
The manager shows no interest in the team's work until problems arise (for example, when deadlines are missed, resources and materials are in short supply). Then he suddenly "flies in" to improve the employees' work, loudly pointing out their mistakes. At the same time, he does not even try to thoroughly understand the issue, believing that his job is to manage, and let someone else figure it out.
Seagull-management type of leader
It's time to lead
The seagull manager does not give constructive feedback to the team, accuses everyone of incompetence, and then, just as suddenly as he appeared, “flies away” into the sunset. The employees, perplexed, look at each other and ask themselves: “What just happened?” and then they are forced to independently, at their own risk and peril, find a way out of the current situation.
Behaves incorrectly, motivates only through negative reinforcement
Typically, a seagull manager communicates by shouting or using raised tones, getting personal and blaming subordinates for not living up to his idea of ideal employees, instead of discussing problems and finding solutions.
Mistakes are harshly punished, and successes go unnoticed or ignored. At the same time, the seagull manager does not forget to remind employees of past mistakes, to come up with punishments for everyone involved in the current situation, and to paint in vivid colors the consequences of their negligence.
Seagull boss
Only shouting and threats
In short, the seagull motivates employees only through intimidation and shouting. As a result, employees lose engagement , do not show initiative in order not to become the object of unfounded criticism, and perform duties "for show". Loyalty to not only the manager, but also to the company itself falls.
Makes rash decisions
Due to a superficial analysis of the situation, the manager often does not understand the true causes of the problems. But his decisions must be immediately implemented. Employees' questions are ignored (only the seagull speaks, the rest listen), any analytics and arguments too. The team will be responsible for the results of decisions.
If the seagull's instructions lead to a successful outcome, then this is more likely a coincidence than the result of competent management.
When your idea unexpectedly works
When your idea unexpectedly works
The seagull manager's instructions are often abstract: "Make everything good, and now!" Specific instructions usually concern small things (shades of colors, nuances of text, a banner 2 millimeters to the left) that do not have a dramatic effect on the situation. The seagull is in the details!
Creates chaos
The team has no formal rules and regulations for work. The main requirement is to follow the manager's instructions. At the same time, today one thing is urgently needed, and tomorrow - another. Everything depends on the mood of the manager. The areas of responsibility of employees are often very vague and conditionally correlate with job responsibilities, especially this point concerns small companies.
Seagull Manager's Dictionary
Seagull Manager's Dictionary
As a result, the team is constantly stressed and exhausted. People work "in fire mode", burn out and quit. Emergency work is created where there usually is none, small tasks drag on for weeks.
Read also
"Emotional Burnout at Work: How to Cope and Avoid It"
Read more
Identifying Seagull Leaders
Personnel surveys will help assess the manager's competencies and identify development areas. On the Happy Job online platform, this element of the work environment is assessed by the metric of the same name, "Manager". The metric consists of 5 submetrics and includes questions about:
clarity of task setting;
trust in the leader;
leadership qualities and the ability to motivate
focus on results rather than process;
meeting efficiency;
Submetrics of the metric "Manager"
Submetrics of the metric "Manager"
For a more complete picture, you can also use the Strategy, Feedback, Recognition, Change, and Career metrics.
The reasons for the current situation can be understood from the comments left by employees via feedback.
In this article we will tell you why this management style is dangerous and how to deal with it.
How the term came about and why seagulls are dangerous
Seagull management became famous in 1985 thanks to a joke in the book Leadership and the One Minute Management by Kenneth shopify website design Blanchard, Patricia and Drea Zigarmi: “Seagull managers fly in, make a lot of noise, nuts on everyone, and fly away.” The description was so vivid and accurate that it turned into a professional term.
This type of management is dangerous for a company for several reasons:
loss of motivation;
emotional burnout;
increased staff turnover (the best ones leave);
creating an atmosphere of fear;
deterioration in business results.
Research also shows that subordinates who are “seagulls” have a 30% higher risk of developing coronary heart disease. This is due to the constant stress, pressure and negative emotions that can arise as a result of such “manager attention.”
survey platform
Find out the opinion
of employees
Just!
How does a seagull manager behave?
He names all the deadlines with a large margin
The real deadline is kept secret for some reason. For example, if work needs to be submitted on Thursday, the deadline is Monday. At the same time, the manager constantly "hurries" the employee, saying that this is a very urgent task, and every 30 minutes asking what stage the project is at.
Chaika management
How not to set deadlines
Lack of clarity about the actual deadline and constant pressure from the manager can negatively affect the quality of work and the employee's well-being.
Appears when a problem occurs
The manager shows no interest in the team's work until problems arise (for example, when deadlines are missed, resources and materials are in short supply). Then he suddenly "flies in" to improve the employees' work, loudly pointing out their mistakes. At the same time, he does not even try to thoroughly understand the issue, believing that his job is to manage, and let someone else figure it out.
Seagull-management type of leader
It's time to lead
The seagull manager does not give constructive feedback to the team, accuses everyone of incompetence, and then, just as suddenly as he appeared, “flies away” into the sunset. The employees, perplexed, look at each other and ask themselves: “What just happened?” and then they are forced to independently, at their own risk and peril, find a way out of the current situation.
Behaves incorrectly, motivates only through negative reinforcement
Typically, a seagull manager communicates by shouting or using raised tones, getting personal and blaming subordinates for not living up to his idea of ideal employees, instead of discussing problems and finding solutions.
Mistakes are harshly punished, and successes go unnoticed or ignored. At the same time, the seagull manager does not forget to remind employees of past mistakes, to come up with punishments for everyone involved in the current situation, and to paint in vivid colors the consequences of their negligence.
Seagull boss
Only shouting and threats
In short, the seagull motivates employees only through intimidation and shouting. As a result, employees lose engagement , do not show initiative in order not to become the object of unfounded criticism, and perform duties "for show". Loyalty to not only the manager, but also to the company itself falls.
Makes rash decisions
Due to a superficial analysis of the situation, the manager often does not understand the true causes of the problems. But his decisions must be immediately implemented. Employees' questions are ignored (only the seagull speaks, the rest listen), any analytics and arguments too. The team will be responsible for the results of decisions.
If the seagull's instructions lead to a successful outcome, then this is more likely a coincidence than the result of competent management.
When your idea unexpectedly works
When your idea unexpectedly works
The seagull manager's instructions are often abstract: "Make everything good, and now!" Specific instructions usually concern small things (shades of colors, nuances of text, a banner 2 millimeters to the left) that do not have a dramatic effect on the situation. The seagull is in the details!
Creates chaos
The team has no formal rules and regulations for work. The main requirement is to follow the manager's instructions. At the same time, today one thing is urgently needed, and tomorrow - another. Everything depends on the mood of the manager. The areas of responsibility of employees are often very vague and conditionally correlate with job responsibilities, especially this point concerns small companies.
Seagull Manager's Dictionary
Seagull Manager's Dictionary
As a result, the team is constantly stressed and exhausted. People work "in fire mode", burn out and quit. Emergency work is created where there usually is none, small tasks drag on for weeks.
Read also
"Emotional Burnout at Work: How to Cope and Avoid It"
Read more
Identifying Seagull Leaders
Personnel surveys will help assess the manager's competencies and identify development areas. On the Happy Job online platform, this element of the work environment is assessed by the metric of the same name, "Manager". The metric consists of 5 submetrics and includes questions about:
clarity of task setting;
trust in the leader;
leadership qualities and the ability to motivate
focus on results rather than process;
meeting efficiency;
Submetrics of the metric "Manager"
Submetrics of the metric "Manager"
For a more complete picture, you can also use the Strategy, Feedback, Recognition, Change, and Career metrics.
The reasons for the current situation can be understood from the comments left by employees via feedback.