Mechanical Managers

The "mechanical managers" want rules that never vary because they don't want to make a decision.

They love "hot stove tests" and "zero tolerance policies" that can be mindlessly applied, regarding of mitigating circumstances; that way, they can tell employees, "I had no choice."

One of their favorite phrases is "If we do it for one, we must do it for all." They find it difficult to conceive that certain exceptions might be wise. They fail to see that treating everyone in exactly the same manner all of the time may be terribly unfair as well as poor management.

Organizations encourage mechanical management whenever they undercut a manager who took initiative and made a reasonable decision based upon the information at hand. They do so whenever they try to hammer managers into a "one size fits all" mode that does not reflect the needs or the reality of the environment.

Mechanical management is as much a morale killer as the other extremes of arbitrary management and favoritism. It is especially dangerous when there is a blend and political considerations or personal ties create exceptions for a chosen few; exceptions that reflect bias instead of a practical evaluation of the facts.

Organizations that use mechanical management send a constant signal to their managers: We don't trust you to make decisions.

Of course, the signal to the employees is even more negative: We regard you as a part and not a person.