VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD The Danger of ”a Returning Boss” Mikko T. Nenonen MD, PhD, MBA - Talent Partners Public Consulting Ltd Timo Aronkytö MD, MBA– City of Vantaa

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Never express yourself more clearly than you are able to think. Niels Bohr

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD The Danger of ” a Leaving Boss”

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD The Boss (manager/leader) leaving an organisation The role and the actions of the boss (manger/leader) Why to leave the organisation? Collect experience, skills Career development Why to come back to the organisation? To share and revitalise organisation To destroy the organisation(?)

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Organisation is a System Organisation (Leader) is a system Boss leaving changes the ”equilibrium” BUT a system with a culture (organisational culture)

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD System is complementary whole like Yin and Yang – The boss determines the direction with/of the org. using power Power Direction Being complementary and alternative, they are not dissociable.

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD RISKS? PROSPERITY and SUCCESS ? or a CHAOS and FAILURE? The Danger of ”a Returning Boss”

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Conscious and unconscious mind of the boss Conscious and unconscious elements of the culture of the organization How is it possible to assess the change of the unconscious? the habits, assumptions, understandings, values, judgments

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD When the Boss returns Development has taken place in the organisation (conscious, unconscious; organisational culture drift) and the boss has changed (learned something) Questions: 1. Is he/she (and the mind; unconscious) returning to the same place and time what hhe/she left 2.Is he/she returning as a different person and with different skills (values, attitudes, beliefs etc) to an organisation which has developed (with its culture) during his/her absence “2” leads to a conflict and fight about power as DIRECTIONS differ

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Failure of Successful Return Strategic shift from customers to internal politics. Conflicts of interest, Power fights, Energy wasted. Informal approaches to gain power through “evil” means; POLITICS Talented people leave Factors contributing to politics Pyramid-shaped organization structure Subjective standards of performance Environmental uncertainty and turbulence Emotional insecurity Machiavellian tendencies Disagreement over major issues

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Politics – Using Unethical influence tactics

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Transactional Analysis (TA) A method to assess game playing A psychoanalytic theory of psychology developed by psychiatrist Eric Berne in the late 1950’s Very useful for Analysing interactions with others Improving communication with others Berne, Eric (1964) Games people Play

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Transactional Analysis: Essential Principles People’s interactions are made up of transactions These involve a stimulus and response

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Transactional Analysis: Essential Principles Earliest transactions include Stimulus: I cry Response: I get fed Stimulus: I wet my nappy Response: My nappy is changed

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Transactional Analysis: Essential Principles Three Ego States: Parent Adult Child P A C

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD The Parent Unconsciously acting in similar ways to our parents Can be: Nurturing: permission, security, guidance Critical: controlling

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD The Adult Living in the present and responding to situations through rational thought.

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD The Child Unconsciously reverting to childhood behaviours Primitive Impulsive Demanding Creative

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD TA - Life Positions I’m not OK, you’re not OK ‘This is terrible, we’ll never succeed’ I’m not OK, you’re OK ‘I wish I could do it as well as you do’ I’m OK, you’re not OK ‘You’re not doing it right, let me show you’ I’m OK, you’re OK ‘ We’re making good progress here’

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Transactions Complementary: ‘What time is it?’ ‘Three o’clock.’ Crossed: ‘What time is it?’ ‘Forget about what time it is, get that report finished.’ Ulterior ‘What time is it?’ ‘What time do you think it is?’ ‘Beer o’clock?’ ‘Exactly!’

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Strokes Strokes are the recognition one person gives another These begin in infancy as hugs Later in life become more verbal/abstract Positive Strokes: Praise Positive feedback Compliments Expressions of appreciation Good reports Negative Strokes: Non-constructive criticism Negative judgements Insults Expressions of disapproval Bad reports

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Games Crooked or covert exchanges of strokes Regularly repeated interactions with ulterior motives Often the players of these games are not conscious they are doing this But sometimes they are! A good example of a game that we are all familiar with is: ‘Why don’t you/Yes but…’

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Returning Boss examples How potentially positive transactions can go bad…

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Adult to Adult: Boss: “Our customer service needs some improvement”

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Organisation: “You think that with your new degree.. ”

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Boss’s response : “Yes, I am MBA from.. And this organisation has gone to dogs while..”

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Organisation: “Sir, you are partly right, I suppose…” Boss: “ But still, we have lots of assets together..:”

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Boss: But, nevertheless, you have failed to fulfil my expectations while I was away..:” P P A A C C

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Organisation:“sorry, but …” Boss:

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Gossiping …, Politics P P A A C C

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Managing Conflict Strategies when Playing - Intervention Styles Assertive Unassertive Collaborating Accomodating Forcing Avoiding CooperativeUncooperative Compromising ORGANISATION READINESS TO CO-OPERATE RETURNING BOSS P A C SPACE TIME Mod. from Thomas- Killman, Berne 1964

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD Remedy – How to Succeed in bringing back the Boss Plan the return in advance Importance of ‘Dialogue’

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI VANDA STAD “I never give them hell. I just tell the truth and they think its hell.” Harry S. Truman