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Date: TUE 06/14/05 Section: BUSINESS Page: 2 Edition: 3 STAR Moneymakers /FIVE QUESTIONS WITH TOM BENWELL /Trainer has some advice for those who rule by fear By JOHN ROPER Staff Executives who use threats and intimidation to push their employees may not only be causing workers to get ulcers, they might also be hurting the bottom line, according to Tom Benwell , chief of the Argus Advisory Group, an executive training and development company in Houston. Benwell , who spends his days advising Houston executives on how to lead, believes such a fear-based management style is rampant, destroys morale and harms profits as well. He spoke recently with Chronicle reporter John Roper about the problems inherent to fear-based management and alternative methods he believes result in a happier and more productive work force. Q: How has the work environment changed in the last decade? A: Well, I think the main change has been a lack of trust between midlevel management and senior management. Of course the Enrons and all the stories in the press around people getting rich at other's expense has been one of the causes, but I think another big factor is fear-based management has become the accepted management style as companies have downsized and managers basically have to do more with less. Q: What's the biggest problem with fear-based management? A: Fear-based management costs companies a lot of money. And I hate to use the old analogy, but it's like a cancer. Once it starts within an organization, it cascades down, and before long you have this total absence of trust because people are afraid to do things. They're afraid to make mistakes. They won't learn. It propagates itself. But if you catch it early and teach people that there are other leadership styles they can use, that's much more effective. Q: Can you give us any local examples? A: The problem is there are so many examples of that today. I have an example of a company right here in town whose executive said to his team: "I'm in this for two years. You need to do what I want you to do, get the stock up, and I'm out of here." Now, that wasn't a real emotionally intelligent statement. I immediately got about three or four phone calls. I really think this thing is something that's a lot deeper and that people's commitment to companies is not there anymore. The loyalty, it's not fading, it's gone. It doesn't exist. And it starts at the top by the perception that management is out for itself. It's a greed issue, when you get down to it. Q: What do you recommend as an alternative style? A: We use an approach that is built around positive psychology. The buzzword is emotional intelligence, and it's really allowing people to understand their emotions and to use them in a positive way to work for themselves. For example, when you used to be in large companies and you would go in for your performance review, you always knew there were two or three things they were going to ding you on, so you went in there and you heard the traditional, "You had a great year, but here are the three things we want you to focus on" that you already knew before you went in there. Now for the next six months they want you to focus on it. But it would make more sense if they said to you: "Here are the positive things that you did last year, and we want you to build on that. And these other things that you don't do so well, we want you to team with someone who does those things well." So you get a win-win. Q: What's the typical response from employees? A: It's been, "Oh, man, you're investing in me? What a novel thought. It's not about you, it's about me? Hello?"
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