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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 J U N E 1 3 , 2 0 1 6 C O M M E N TA RY W orking with businesses here at the Maine Small Business Development Centers I have the opportunity to work with diff erent challenges all the time. at's why I enjoy the job so much. But occasion- ally things come up that make you sit back and refl ect on management and how much it has changed — and at the same time how much it has stayed the same! Meeting with an existing busi- ness owner, we got into a discussion on management practices. ere were some issues in managing staff that brought me back. One of the big- gest problems for him was putting in a very long day and then not having time for his family. When I asked a few questions about how his day went and how the business was doing I realized that he really needed to go back to the basics. I suggested that he read an article that many of you may have read years ago. In its November-December 1974 issue, the Harvard Business Review had an article, "Who's Got the Monkey" by William Oncken Jr. and Donald L. Wass, that is still relevant today. It is one of the publication's two best-selling reprints. It has been used in classrooms and has been reprinted. It is a classic. When it was repub- lished in 1999, HBR added a com- mentary by Stephen R. Covey (of "7 Habits of Highly Eff ective People" fame). If you have not read it I would suggest that you do. The article talks about three kinds of management time: 1. Boss-imposed time 2. System-imposed time 3. Self-imposed time is is the only time that we as managers can actually infl uence. Using the analogy of a monkey on the back, it looks at the way that managers sometimes allow burdens to be shifted from our employees to themselves. "In accepting the monkey, the manager has voluntarily assumed a position subordinate to his subordi- nate," the authors write. e key is then to not accept the monkey that may rightfully belong not to us, but to the employee. It was clear that my client was in such a stressful situation due in large part to letting his employees give him the monkeys. He further com- pounded this by not having any real written policies in place. In eff ect, he was letting his employees run rough- shod over him. ey were dropping everything in his lap at the end of the day and going out and using the company credit card he provided to have a few drinks after work. He was left to work nights and weekends to try and keep up. Just as the Harvard Business Review story says, he had "voluntarily assumed a position sub- ordinate to his subordinate." He was never going to get caught up or be truly in charge of his destiny. If you manage a small business and this sounds anything like where you are today, I urge you to go and read the article. Some of the oldies but goodies still apply today, although they have evolved. By all means get the article from the 1999 reprint. It contains a second part "Making Time for Gorillas" that is Covey's follow up. It brings some of the points more up to date perhaps, but it also ties in to management today. After you have read it, think about how you might be able to get rid of a few monkeys. Steve LoveJoY is director of the Maine Small Business Development Center at the University of Southern Maine. He can be reached at stePhen.loveJoY @ maine.eDu Get rid of the monkeys At Jensen Baird, our commitment is to you. Maine lawyers. Maine clients. Maine values. Portland / Kennebunk 207-775-7271 • 1-800-756-1166 • jbgh.com We know what our clients need, because we know Maine. Our lawyers understand the unique challenges of living and doing business here. We aren't part of a huge national firm, we're part of the community. And we've been that way for over 60 years. In accepting the monkey, the manager has In accepting the monkey, the manager has In accepting the monkey, the manager has In accepting the monkey, the manager has In accepting the monkey, the manager has In accepting the monkey, the manager has In accepting the monkey, the manager has In accepting the monkey, the manager has In accepting the monkey, the manager has In accepting the monkey, the manager has In accepting the monkey, the manager has In accepting the monkey, the manager has In accepting the monkey, the manager has In accepting the monkey, the manager has voluntarily assumed a position subordinate to voluntarily assumed a position subordinate to voluntarily assumed a position subordinate to voluntarily assumed a position subordinate to voluntarily assumed a position subordinate to voluntarily assumed a position subordinate to voluntarily assumed a position subordinate to voluntarily assumed a position subordinate to voluntarily assumed a position subordinate to voluntarily assumed a position subordinate to voluntarily assumed a position subordinate to voluntarily assumed a position subordinate to voluntarily assumed a position subordinate to his subordinate. — "Who's Got the Monkey," by William Oncken Jr. and Donald L. Wass B Y S T E V E L O V E J O Y

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