“Managers are not just channels. . .”

“Managers are not just channels through which pass information and influences; they are also valves in these channels, which control what gets passed on, and how. . . . consider five ways by which managers can get it wrong:

• Some managers are sieves who let influence flow too easily into their units. This can drive their reports crazy, forcing them to respond to every pressure. . .

• Managers are dams who block out too much of the external influence. . .

• There are the sponges—managers who absorb most of the pressures themselves. . . it is only a matter of time before these managers burn themselves out. . .

• Managers acing as hoses. . . put great pressure on the people outside, who may. . . become angry and less inclined to cooperate

• Finally, there are the drips, who exert too little pressure on the people outside. . .

The effective manager may act in each of these ways some of the time but does not allow any of them to dominate all of the time. . . managing on the edges—the boundaries between the unit and its context?is a tricky business: every unit has to be protected, responsive, and aggressive, depending on the circumstances.”