Leaders don't have all the answers

We were sitting around the lunch table and one of my colleagues was pretty annoyed about a decision that affects us that involved absolutely no consultation from the senior management. While he had a point, he structured his argument poorly and was roundly shot down by all involved.

The guy who acted as manager for a year also sat at the table and his attitude was managers must manage with no input of the plebs - his attitude was worrisome. The best decisions are made in consultation with the very people that that decision affects, they generally have better insight to the managers and should tap into their knowledge. His arrogant attitude regarding management decisions and the old style command and control management styles are still widely used in the government management circles - it shows.

The top international business schools are teaching organisational behaviour in their post graduate programs, yet the current crop of managers have no idea of collaborative decision making. Such processes aren't followed in the workplaces of government institutions who prefer to hire managers based on old style hiring techniques of friendships and favours.