Monday | 7 July, 2008
CIO

How to cope with a managerial meltdown
Supervising a self-destructive manager can be a challenge
Paul Glen (Computerworld (US)) 05 March, 2007 14:00:22
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4. Does this person have unique and essential knowledge or skills?

With the answers to these questions, you can generate and evaluate options within the context of the situation. When evaluating these options, I'd suggest that you keep two priorities uppermost in your mind: to minimize damage to others (subordinates, peers, clients) and to treat the individual fairly.

The most effective responses that I've seen include these:

Dismissal: Sometimes you need to fire a person to protect the staff and the organization.

Time in the wilderness: Working alone on some noncritical project can give a person time to calm down, reflect on past behaviour and prepare for reintegration into the group.

An important special assignment: Have him work on his own, but give him a project that is genuinely critical to the group.

Meltdowns happen. How you handle them not only helps those in distress but communicates your values to the rest of the organization. When you've got one on your hands, think carefully, but don't think for too long before acting.

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2008 CIO Summit

19th August, 2008 Four Seasons Hotel, Sydney Developed in partnership with CIO Magazine, IDC, INTEP and the CIO Executive Council.

The world of the CIO is extremely complex and diverse. Multiple priorities demand attention and decisions are needed instantly. Individual teams need to be driven towards common goals, and businesses strive to become more mobile, agile and responsive. For CIOs, the challenge never ends.

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CIO Live Podcast #79: Brent D Taylor, author of The Outsider's Edge: The Making of Self-Made Billionaires Part II
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