“I think that I shall never see, a poem as lovely as a tree.” Joyce Kilmer published this in 1913. Born in New Jersey, he was considered by many to be the leading American Catholic poet of the era. He later was killed by a snipers bullet in 1918. What does his poetry mean? What did it mean to someone in the early twentieth century? Did it make sense then? Does it make sense now?
Poetry changes. Think about Shakespeare and while you might like his stuff, I have to think there is some twenty one-year old that just doesn’t get it. They are not going to read it. It is not “cool”. Where is the management “coolness”? As manager, my job is to understand my team and what they need – each and every one from me as a leader. Some may want a certain style and a certain ability to manage in a certain situation within a certain context. This is the part which challenges managers. How do I manage this? Times, things and people change. How do you find your poetry? You want to have a rhythm, you want a cadence and yet the experiences as manager make that almost impossible because life flexes. Do you want the answer? When does management becomes easier?
What about bad poetry? I have seen so many bad “poets”, so many bad managers. It doesn’t rhyme? Yeah, I suppose as you consider the analogy I have made for this post. They just do not get it. They are in a leadership role and just do not get the way to make it powerful or beneficial to all. Is that the big battle for managers? How do you define your style with the ever-changing nature of your job and the industry you work in?
I have been trained “old school”. I have worked exclusively in retail during in the 80’s, 90’s and so on. I cut my teeth in sales being taught the message, “put the rocks in the box” (uh, this would be putting money in the register – am I really that old?). I know “suck it up, the world doesn’t care, but the customer does.” Basta! That is Italian for “enough.” This generation in the workforce does not think like you and me (given the generalization we are in the same generation; which is GenX). We have to think “just a little outside” (to coin a phrase by Bob Uecker in the movie Major League – yes, I guess I am that old).
So where is the poetry? I can fall asleep before my head hits the pillow. My wife takes hours to finally fall asleep. Who is right? Who is more right? Every manager has their own style, their own state of being, their own bandwidth. All managers have something positive to offer. Do they know how or want to? That is the only variable I cannot control with regard to this post. So this, from my perspective, means all poetry in management depends on the “author” of it. There is bad poetry, there is good and there is great.
Here are some considerations…
Be authentic. Be yourself. Understand your strengths and opportunities for improvement.
Know your team. Know how they want and need to be led. Know what inspires them to follow you.
Collaborate often. Let everyone have a voice in the direction of the business (OK at times, not always!).
When things happen, let it just be. Let it be.
This may be a bit of an odd post for me. I am talking about a very subjective element to the manager’s job. My goal was to illuminate the idea, everyone has a “poem”, everyone has a style. Perhaps I should say at this point (finally), be true to your poetry, your management style – who you are within a context. I believe this. I believe that despite the situation, you will make the right decision. The right decision for right then. Will it be right? What is right? It rhymes with kite, fright, tight, light, tonight, white and sight. Is that poetic?