QUESTION: I will not be Impacted by my manager’s standing in the company if I continue to do my work well.
FACT: The manager’s image and his relationship with the management do impact his team.
If an employee thinks that he merely has to continue doing his work well, remaining immune to what is happening between his manager and the management team, then he is wrong. It is true that a high performer—irrespective of where he is— will always be rewarded and respected. But, even for such a person, the type of manager matters.
If a manager does not have a good relationship with his boss, the team might not get challenging work. And as there would be a constant friction between- the two, it would lead to frustrating delays in decision-making and the flow of information. This can impact the whole team environment, the morale and motivation levels. In such situations where the manager is on the wrong side of the management team, some employees will be concerned about their compensation and benefit packages since their manager might not get the right pool, Then, there are also those employees who think they have a chance of replacing the manager, but they are uncertain about the whole thing.
On the other hand, if a manager has a good relationship with his boss, then things will be smooth. Employees’ contributions will be recognized. A happy manager can make the work environment better and more productive. But here, too, there’s a drawback—if an employee has an issue with the manager and takes the matter to the manager’s boss, the latter may well inform the manager about this development, without taking any drastic steps. Ultimately, the employee may well have to leave.
The manager’s image plays an important role since the whole team is more or less judged on the merit of this image. If the manager is ‘possessive’ and wants to control every communication that goes out, it will hinder the visibility of the team members as they would get only limited opportunity to interact outside the team. This team would then be seen as a cloistered group. But if the manager has a positive image, it also reflects on the team.
Sometimes, an employee might find himself in a team whose manager is not in the good books of the management. In such cases, the employee may not always get a chance to move out of the team, but he should be aware of what’s going on. However, all said and done, most managements do not go public with their frictions, and would see to it that the deliverable from the team are not impacted under any circumstance,
WHAT CAN YOU DO AS THE EMPLOYEE? Whilst you cannot bridge the difference of opinions among the management, it is certainly in your control to build your own image based on your strengths. This, will help blunt some of the visibility issue that happens in such situations. Though you would prefer this type of work environment to be short-lived, it will help you learn a lot. You have another choice, too. If you find the problem is with a manager whom you consider to be ineffective and incompetent, you can go find a job with another manager whom you respect more.
WHAT CAN YOU DO AS THE MANAGER? In this type of a situation, you must try to insulate the team from any adverse impact as much as possible. You should be aware that you cannot take your team members for granted and that you need to work hard to retain your best talent. At the same time, you should try to resolve the thorny issue .plaguing your relationship with your manager at the earliest opportunity. If it is an ideological difference that is impossible to bridge, and even y6ur skip-level meeting with your manager’s manager has not helped, then you should seek a transfer or look outside the company.
