The Old-Fashioned management style.

The Old-Fashioned management style.

This article tends to show with a practical metaphor some ideas and tips to highlight key management skills.

So what is first an Old-Fashioned? I do not mean here about the old way of managing people, I talk about the cocktail. I guess all the fans of Don Draper (main and charismatic character of Mad Men) should know as well as all whisky or cocktail drinkers.
This is so one of the famous, simplest and oldest cocktail in the world, based mainly on whisky. Of course the recipe can vary a bit from one barman to another but let’s agree on this most common one: 5cl of whiskey (most of the time it is preferred to use a sweeter one, rye whiskey or bourbon), some sugar (can be a cube or some liquid sugar), two dashes of bitter (most of the time Angostura bitter), big ice cubes, 1 orange slice and 1 maraschino cherry.
As in every cocktail you may be killed if you dilute any old single malts with other things than some drops of water. So you will not use the older of your collection but more a nice young one, nice blend of several things.

Let’s say this whiskey is like your team mate. 

Especially in the case of young graduates they come with full energy, nice but not matured yet, so missing of course some further thinking attitude and strategic vision. An old malt of 30 years will reveal some great after taste notes that nothing can make happen in a young one.
But it is not because you hire a young employee that he cannot become much better right away. That is where the coaching and furthermore the management have a big role to play. Like in the old-fashioned cocktail, from an average whiskey that you will be hesitant to drink raw it can become a marvelous drink, so tasty and perfect. You just need to add several key elements.

First of all, it is the whiskey that is making the work, so you do not need to hide it.
The sugar you put in the glass first is like in the training you give to your new comers. It has to be there and organized before the employee arrives. There is nothing worse than an employee discovering the trainings he expects to succeed in his new job are even not yet in place.
And then to be dissolved slowly but strongly to be integrated in the employer. You toss it to be sure it is well melted but this is not enough. On top you have the dashes of bitter, this is the personal contacts you give, the recognition you offer. You do not need to do too much cause as the Angostura bitter it is highly tasty, too much will have some unpredictable results (too much self-confident employee may leave because they think there current job just do not worth them), but none and the magic of the cocktail is not happening.

To make it really good and fresh there are the ice cubes like free moment, refreshers allowing the cocktail to be at the right temperature and to last long at this one. In management it will be like giving feed-back in a constructive way – you are too hot, you need to cool down Mr Cocktail. And you can add a lot, I would say it is rare there is too much. The glass is like the global time you have, you cannot fill it more than possible.

And then when everything seems to be ready, you have to think of the extras that it allow to become perfect. The slice of orange and the maraschino cherry. Some may forget it but to be franc, these elements can be compared in management life to the visible rewards you give to your employees and it is key. Even without it, the work would surely be done but for a short period in time, cause it would be less shiny, less visible and your whisky / employee would be less happy. These cherry or orange juice can be only kudos or can be much bigger (nicer company car, bonuses, gifts like holidays, etc.) but it has to be known and recognized.

Then you will have a perfect management relation and a perfect cocktail / performer.

Next time we see how to save good relations with some "sinking" employees with the Manhattan’s cocktail mentoring style.