Decisions, Decisions: A 'Common' Take on Being a Better Manager

Learn about our Chemical, Energy and Natural Resources practice.

by Jim Battey

With 17 years at CSC under his belt, Michael Horton is passionate about constructive leadership and the success it can deliver for teams. In his book, Scrappy General Management: Common Sense Practices to Avoid Calamities, Catastrophes and Lackluster Results¹ (Scrappy About, 2010), Horton delivers no-nonsense solutions and practical advice for busy managers.

From his remote location in Perth as vice president for CSC’s Australian Chemical, Energy, and Natural Resources practice, Horton has responsibility for annual revenues of more than $400 million and 2,000 employees. Over the years, he has learned the value of good communication and recently discussed what every manager should do to stay ahead of the game.

What are some of the key traits of a good manager?

Horton: We are in the services business, so our job is all about people. To do well, it’s all about communication, with our staff and more importantly, our clients. There’s no revenue to be gained sitting in the office reading emails. I set a personal goal to get face-to-face with at least one client every day, and if you can do more, then great! My own direct reports are spread around the country, some of them a five-hour flight or more away, but we still get to talk regularly and have developed quite close relationships. Even though we’re geographically dispersed, there is a strong sense of team.

Talk about the importance of market knowledge and the best ways a leader can stay informed.

Horton: To be a step ahead of your competitors, you need to have better knowledge of what’s going on in your market than them. If you’re relying on analyst feedback and surveys, then you’re actually a step behind. Their information is at least a month old and readily available to your competitors as well.

We need to use all of the communication networks available, particularly our own staff, to constantly scan and gather intelligence from the street, creating our own market knowledge, and then use the analyst data as confirmation of the trends.

What’s your best advice in the area of vision and strategy — short-term and long-term?

Horton: For short-term strategy to be effective, people need to understand and connect to a long-term vision, looking five to 10 years out. However, many large organizations are typically driven quarter-by-quarter, along with annual targets. The trick is to ensure that these relatively short-term goals complement a longer-term strategy, providing building blocks toward the long-term vision. Our job as leaders in the organization is to create that vision and provide the understanding that links it back to the personal ‘What’s in it for me?’.

Tell us about the role of IT in the natural resources industries.

Horton: I occasionally have the privilege of being provided a tour of an operational facility — an iron ore mine, a liquefied natural gas plant, or a steel smelter. The thing that always strikes me is the sheer scale of everything. Everything is big, the trucks, the diggers, the facilities, even the miners themselves are big, with big boots, big hats, and big grins that come from big profits.

Clearly though, the operations are still very mechanical. Dig it, truck it, ship it. If you want to do it faster, get bigger diggers, bigger trucks, and more ships. IT is only just beginning to make its way toward the front line, the dirty end of the operations, usually as some form of automation. Until recently IT was just a back office function — ERP, HR, supply chain, finance systems.

The future for our clients and for CSC is IT-driven automation that can bring the next wave of productivity improvements, as well as improving safety and environmental controls.

In the book, you discuss the “Cone of Communication” both internally and for customers. How did that come about?

Horton: Because I work in a remote part of the globe, for the most part, my direct reports and my managers have been geographically dispersed. Good relationships can still be created while working at a distance and to achieve this I recognized I was following a regular set of communication patterns or cycles.

The “Cone” is about an ongoing cycle of communication and organizing a framework for communication ranging from informal to formal, with intervals ranging from daily to six months.

In daily or less formal meetings, we don’t have a set agenda because it stifles the conversation. But contact is crucial. You need to get out of the office to meet with your staff every day, or if they are remote, find some excuse to call them. I would have an org chart on my desk and make sure to contact each person on that chart every two or three weeks to make a personal connection and also to see what’s going on. It also works well to repeat that pattern with your customers, your peers, and your boss.

What’s your advice on hiring new employees and keeping them motivated?

Horton: Hiring the right people is key, and the right people are those with the right attitude. I would give preference to someone with a great attitude and plenty of energy over someone with good technical skills.

To keep employees motivated there is something called the Goal Theory of Motivation. This was developed and documented by psychologist Edwin Locke in 1969. It’s all about setting goals and giving people the ability to track progress against those goals. In services organizations like CSC, people need tangible ways to track their achievements. It helps with team and individual motivation and focus.

What are some of the key concepts behind managing yourself?

Horton: There’s a degree of discipline needed in looking after yourself and making sure there’s balance in your life. It’s part of leading by example, and managing yourself to be a consistent performer. Your own health, happiness, and continuing personal growth play a large part in this.

Any final advice for managers?

Horton: I can’t say it enough — get out and communicate with your staff and customers as much as possible. There’s no revenue to be made sitting in the office; it’s more fun being out and about. Communication creates engagement and engaged employees and customers are our path to success.

¹ Scrappy General Management is available at www.happyabout.com.

JIM BATTEY is a writer for CSC’s corporate office.