A functioning manager

It is argued in many business textbooks that the four main roles of management are planning, leading, organising and controlling - to my method of thinking, this is true and correct. It is also thought managers need to place a lesser reliance on hard technical skills instead possessing higher conceptual reasoning as they progress into a management role. I feel the ability to communicate with team members rates highly in a competent manager.

Yet, this is the soft skill frequently overlooked by most poor managers; in my case, this exactly the reason behind my lack of confidence in my direct manager. I wonder why I have bothered to work so diligently, my efforts have been wasted from a professional standpoint, all because I do not get along personally with my manager. This has been going on since almost time began, so why am I complaining?

Looking to get leaped over by those less technically competent is difficult to fathom, especially when my manager has absolutely no idea what is actually going on in the business portfolio. I have told him to get his head out of the spreadsheets and learn what is going on around him. This is, of course my problem, I am too blunt, to the point and combative; yet, why should I tolerate such ineptness from a manager?

I bring him solutions, not problems; yet with solutions, he still has to act. I am a sailor, not the helmsman but I fit into a crew currently filling the mast-man role. While I have trimmed the main, the jib and been forward-hand over the course of racing cruisers, I acutely realise crew interaction is the deciding factor in winning races. We were losing races because of poor fore-deck work; I put forward a number of solutions to rectify the problems we encountered and was duly seconded to the mast-man position from my favoured jib trimming position - ouch.

Without a competent forward-hand and mast-man, the gains of the upwind work would be negated on the spinnaker reach and downwind run. Likewise, trying to make up places lost to competitors sailing efficiently downwind after a poor upwind work is haphazard practice at best.

However, the fore-deck crew don't just sit on the side and provide ballast when not performing their spinnaker handling duties. A good crew provides the helmsman (or helms-woman) with vital running information regarding tactics, wind direction, lifts and knocks, other boats, fleet positioning and navigation hazards.

The workings of the forward crew are systematic and procedural in nature; it does involve working in tandem with the spinnaker trimmer, a certain feel is required, you need to anticipate what the other is doing. Get the systems right and the role is easy, almost to the point of mundane; get it wrong and the failures are spectacular - from broaching, dropping the spinnaker in water, ripping sails, bending and breaking spars or fittings, dropping the mast and/or seriously injuring crew.

Running a business is similar; the manager, like the helmsman is the prime decision maker and receives raw data and recommendations from the team. The helmswoman steers the yacht using a wind indicator on the top of the mast as guidance and wools on the jib to indicate airflow across the sails. Ideally, both wools are to stream similar to cash-flow, it can be a little tricky as wind direction frequently changes requiring minor changes to the rudder for optimal flow.

On the yacht, the main-sheet hand is usually the tactician holding a foreman like position working the mainsail alongside the helm position. As such, the main-sheet trimmer is a working position and exerts a fair degree of influence to the helmsman, they frequently exchange ideas and commentary.

If the jib is poorly trimmed, the yacht is difficult to steer and the helmswoman must then steer the yacht to the jib trim to keep the wools flowing, this is an incorrect and inefficient course. Any crew member can speak up to inform the jib trimmer, the main trimmer or spinnaker trimmer to correct the setting; this 360° feedback is encouraged as the team goal is the sail the yacht as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Naturally, it is in the best interests of the yacht for the more competent sailors to coach the less experienced crew members with each crew member assigned a specific role. The less experienced crew members benefit as they receive on-the-job training and improve their knowledge and skills.

I enjoy sailing on the weekend, I sail with a highly experienced and proficient helmsman, he listens to feedback and acts accordingly. You are treated as a highly valued member of the team and we win and lose together. If only I could experience the same level of performance during the weekday from the manager - we would experience the jubilation of being part of a winning and effective team.