A Class with Drucker - Headway | Work on yourself

WE’RE ALL ACCOUNTABLE ■ 145
<strong>Drucker</strong> Recommends Writing a Charter
“There are numerous opportunities for miscommunications,” <strong>Drucker</strong>
said. “Moreover, many executives forget what they have instructed
their subordinates to do, especially over time. As a result, unless it is
written down, and preferably signed by both the boss and his employee,
the employee may well assume he is doing a satisfactory, or even an
exceptional job in whatever he is doing. Yet, it may not be what his boss
wanted done at all. Frequently the plan changes and not all subordinates
are told. A charter describing what is expected over the coming
period can ensure that both you and your boss are working towards the
same goals.
“If you are a new employee,” he added, “it is even more important that
you get such a charter. Most bosses will not suggest this. So, as a new company
manager, I would suggest that you develop a draft of such a charter
yourself. Sit down and write out what you think your boss wants you to
do over the coming year. Show it to him and get his input. Make corrections
or changes as required. Date it and assign it, and ask him to sign it,
too. Ask him if you can review it <strong>with</strong> him periodically to determine if you
are reaching the goals he has set for you periodically.
“Few will object, and such a charter will save you, your boss, and your
organization a lot of trouble.”
Much later I learned that it was Peter who had first articulated the concept
of management by objectives in one of his early books, The Practice
of Management, (New York: Harper & Row, 1954). What was Peter’s “charter”
but a version of management by objectives?
Peter also told us that if we were “the boss,” we would do well to initiate
such a process <strong>with</strong> our subordinates. Alas, I had already stumbled as
a manager due to the lack of such a technique. I had, unfairly, not given
an increase to a subordinate because I did not make my priorities clear,
and no charter existed. Fortunately, I was able to correct my error and I
never repeated this mistake in the future.
Peter gave us one additional important piece of advice that night.
“Communication works two ways,” he said, “and information moving in
both directions is equally important. As a boss is accountable for information
from the top down, those who report to him are responsible for information
from the bottom up. Some bosses are readers, others listeners.
However, every boss prefers one of these two methods. What is important
is that there will be a significant improvement in comprehension when the