# A Matter of Management By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2022-12-02 Does management matter? Yes and no - the significance of management is a paradox. Management does not matter because the success of any organization is more likely dependent upon factors outside management's control. The market, timing, and other random conditions push organizations down a given path. In "good times," good and bad organizations will likely stumble into good outcomes and vice versa. There are plenty of organizations that we would say have poor management, yet they grew massively and are major economic players. They were at the right place at the right time. On the flip side, management does matter. Bad management can run things into the ground and cause endless suffering. We know the difference a good manager can make in our work life and the organization. It is undeniable with impact beyond what can be immediately measured. However, studies continuously show that management is the primary reason people leave companies. At a minimum, the impact of management on us as workers is clear, and that has to count for something. So, where does this leave us? Management is simultaneously important and not important. For many people, this feels uncomfortable. Perhaps we are missing something that would clarify the answer. We could reject the notion of management as a way around the problem. Let people self-organize and let the gods choose the fate of the organization. In small groups, this is likely possible, but even in these cases, management behaviors will emerge. Who answers the email? Who runs the team meeting? Who facilitates the decision-making? Someone will, and at that moment they become management. Natural and emergent hierarchies exist all around us for a reason. We cannot wish away the idea of management. So, again, where does this leave us? Management emerges naturally and is simultaneously important and not important. This is getting complicated very quickly. It's easy to adopt just one worldview and ignore the rest, but this is a delusion. It is a thought, and thoughts are not reality. All models are wrong, but some are useful. Embrace the management paradox for what it is and leverage all views to move forward: * Management exists in a complex world because of the limitations of the human condition and divergent talents, amongst many other things we cannot see or understand. * Management may not matter, but being a good manager is certainly better than being a bad one. * Strive to be better and hold managers accountable, but do not immediately blame [[failure]] on bad management - even good management fails. The world is much more complex than we give it credit, but that is no excuse for anyone to give up and be an asshole. #### Related Items [[Management]] [[Organizational Analytics]] [[Business]] [[Economics]] [[Solidarity]] [[Complexity]]