Being consistent

This week's session closed the presentations of book 1, communicating effectively. Writing down my thoughts about the book based on the presentations. Disclaimer: I have not read the book in whole.

Chapter 7 and 8 are out of discussion for their technicality. So... basically 2 weeks and 4 chapters.

Week 1, chapter 2 and 4: Talking from a manager's perspective, the book tells you the differences between 'truth' and 'perception'. It tells you, as a manager, has to get the 'right perception' about your subordinates, while also telling you to manipulate your subordinates' perception toward being (so called) 'positive'. The authors say this would boost team/work performance.

Week 2, chapter 5 and 10: Chapter 5 talks from a manager's perspective on some key points to do if performance is less than desirable. The chapter spent a great deal on how to phrase your critics and directions to reduce resistance from your subordinates. Chapter 10 talks from a subordinate's perspective, giving tips to subordinate survival (which includes appeasing the boss and checking your peers).

I was neutral about the book at first. I have mixed feelings about the techniques in chapter 2, 4 and 5, treading between being manipulative and being heart-felt and treating your subordinates truthfully. Yet, I can consider those techniques as a summary of what a manager the later type would do.

That was before chapter 10 shows. The contradiction between 'getting your perception right', 'creating "positive" perception (patronizing)', and 'appeasing the boss' are just too big to be a consistent principle.

My opinion: Consistency is the first and utmost rule. If you advertise the importance of getting perceptions closer to the truth, ask the same both ways (acquiring and presenting) and regardless of your positions. If you can not be consistent in the principle you advertise, it is not a worthy (a bit too harsh a word for the purpose) principle to preach.

Other from that, well, you can still pick up some useful tricks from the book, regardless of my critics above. Those are valid points. Just saying if a manager is built from the book, I would not trust and respect him/her at all.