Are You a Seagull Manager?

As we rapidly approach summer in the Northern hemisphere, you may be thinking less about the office and more about the beach; less about work and more about relaxing in the sun, sand and water. We hope you have structures in place to be able to take a full break from work (one non-profit that I met with today emphasized the importance of time off to its team; it was reassuring to hear this come directly from the Executive Director in a wider work climate that undervalues rest). But even away from your usual workspace, one common beach annoyance could hold a surprising connection to the work world: seagulls.

A side joke relating seagulls to managers in Ken Blanchard’s 1985 book Leadership and the One Minute Manager has become surprisingly salient in my conversations with clients almost 40 years after publication. To paraphrase Blanchard:

Seagull managers fly in once in a while, make a lot of noise, poop on everyone, take whatever they need, and then fly off again leaving a mess for everyone to clean up.

Every time I’ve mentioned this to clients recently, the group has laughed and glanced at each other with the same look of recognition. A few people shared that this is an experience they’ve had, and a couple even reflected with anguish that maybe they have been a seagull manager themselves. Of course, recognizing this takes some humility, and doesn’t always happen upon first hearing the term, but if you recognize it about yourself – or about your manager – it’s time for a change!

So what can you do if you are a seagull manager? And what can you do if you have one?

This Week’s Tips:

If you are a seagull manager:

1. Commit to creating a routine of delivering – and listening to – positive feedback. Studies on feedback suggest the ratio of positive feedback to constructive feedback should be anywhere from 3:1 to 4:1 – regardless of the specific numbers, team members are most effective when they receive significantly more positive feedback than critical feedback, and on a regular basis, not simply at review times once every quarter (or once each year).
2. When you see something positive about a team member’s work, let them know as soon as possible. Be specific about what you’re complimenting them on, to give them something concrete to continue doing. “Great job!” is vague; “In that presentation, you used key words that our client has mentioned, which really helped them to feel heard and valued” is specific.
3. Be sparing and specific in any constructive feedback you deliver. Give feedback based on what will make the biggest difference for the team member, and support them in reaching their goals.

If you have a seagull manager:

1. Request more regular meeting times with your manager that you both can count on for updates in both directions.
2. Intercept the seagull swoops by providing them with updates more than they would need. This may feel like more work up front, but you’ll be able to scale back when you have built a stronger level of support and trust from your manager.
3. Offer positive feedback (and occasional constructive feedback) to your seagull manager, and invite them to do the same with you.

Try these out this week, and let us know how it goes! We’d love to hear from you.

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