MBSO: Management By Shiny Object
Symptoms:
- Tendency to assign action items based on the last meeting you had
- Forwarding every article on the latest management fad to your entire team
- Inability to complete a project
- Forgetting who you actually assigned as owner of a project
- Vigorous head-nodding when something is suggested by the higher ups
Side Effects:
- Frustrated team members
- Lack of planning
- Eye rolling in meetings
- High turnover
- Low engagement
Diagnosis:
- Can usually be made within two (2) face-to-face meetings
- Observe email syntax – probable lack of continuity; may also display needless repetition
- Ask for a priority update on Monday…then as the same question Wednesday to see if there are massive changes
Treatment (to be administered by those around the MBSO sufferer):
- At the next staff meeting, stage an intervention. “Joe, we love you very much. And we want you to be successful…”
- Airing of grievances
- Dead-eye stare at the afflicted member of your team
- Finding a new job
MBSO can be stopped, but it takes awareness.
Don’t be that manager.
Surviving Leadership 