There is a significant challenge facing executives and upper-level managers, one that is not often discussed in management journals: ill-defined work. The work of a leader is almost always demanding, even stressful, because it is not well defined.
To understand this concept, consider the work at a construction site: The carpenters, masons, electricians, etc., know exactly what tasks they have to complete and know in great detail how to do it. At the end of the day, these craft people know that they have been productive and have completed something tangible and substantial. And they have a sense of satisfaction.
But what about the project manager, who spent his day in an office, either at his computer, on phone calls, on conference calls or in meetings? Was he productive? It’s often difficult to know because the tasks he has to complete are ill-defined and not easily measured. Consider cost controls: He needs to constantly look at the budget, at scope changes, at delivery problems, at personnel issues, at weather delays, all of which affect costs and profits. But controlling these factors is not simple because they are complex and changing, sometimes hour by hour. If there is a delivery delay, he has to decide whether to send craft home, find another source of materials, or re-direct his craft to another task. Yet, he cannot turn to a rule book, formula or procedure that tells him what decision to make or what steps to take.
As a result, many leaders go home at the end of the day not knowing whether they were truly productive. Was the two-hour meeting really effective? Did we make the right changes in the delivery schedule? Did we choose the right subcontractor? Have we kept the client/investor properly informed? The project manager cannot be sure he made the right choice—and may not know for months to come.
One of the reasons why many adults cannot–or do not want to–lead others is that they are uncomfortable with responsibilities that are ill-defined. We all know that a leader is required to be analyzing, evaluating, comparing, adjusting, and making hard choices. And we know that he or she will be held accountable for the outcome of these choices.
So, managing and leading a division, an office, a project, an organization or a company is seldom going to be easy. For this reason, leaders often relish those few opportunities they have to complete a well-defined task, realizing that the rest of their work day and week will be hazy, fuzzy, morphing and in flux.
Is it a wonder, then, that we so admire leaders who are effective and successful?