↗️ 🕊️ The Seagull Manager

Do you know what a “Seagull Manager” is? This is a management style where managers only interact with employees when they see a problem has arisen. The term was coined in Ken Blanchard’s 1985 book “Leadership and the One Minute Manager”. Seagull managers “fly in, make a lot of noise, dump on everyone, and fly out, leaving a mess.”

➡️ NOT A RARE BEHAVIOR!

Granted, this seems like an extreme behavior. However, in the past eight years, since I have been in this field, I have personally heard so many people complain about their manager exhibiting this kind of behavior that I see a strong anecdotal pattern. The negative impacts of seagull management are clear: people check out, feeling only seen for problems or failures, creating an unnecessarily negative work vibe.

I argue that at the opposite end of the scale, we find a Coach-Like Manager.

Let’s contrast how both types think differently!

➡️ THREE EXAMPLES OF SEAGULL MANAGER THINKING

💬 Seagull Manager: “There is another problem in the team. I guess I have to fix it quickly, so I can finally get back to my own work.“

💬 Seagull Manager: “I am sure my team members will come to me if they need anything. After all, I told them my door is open.“

💬 Seagull Manager: “I better spend my time with the problematic people in my team and leave the performing folks alone.“

The examples demonstrate a reactive rather than proactive approach, indicating a lack of engagement and support for team members. The Seagull Manager only addresses problems when they arise, expects team members to seek them out, and neglects high-performing employees.

➡️ THREE EXAMPLES OF COACH-LIKE MANAGER THINKING

💬 Coach-like Manager: “The team may encounter more obstacles in the next project face. Let me find out what they anticipate and how I can support.“

💬 Coach-like Manager: “I noticed something. My team member stopped updating about the project 2 weeks ago, like she used to. I should proactively reach out and check-in.“

💬 Coach-like Manager: “My attention has been drawn to a few crises recently. My performing team members deserve as much or more attention, so they feel valued for the great work they do.“

These examples show a proactive approach to management that supports and engages team members. The Coach-Like Manager seeks out problems before they arise, proactively checks in with team members to provide support and guidance, and recognizes high-performing employees.

➡️ SUMMARY

In this issue, I contrasted the Seagull Manager from a Coach-Like Manager. Seagull Managers only interact with employees when there’s a problem, while Coach-Like Managers proactively engage with their team members and offer support. The negative impact of the Seagull Manager style is clear: a transactional, problem-focused environment. On the other hand, Coach-Like thinking helps create a positive and supportive workplace by proactively engaging with team members, offering support, and recognizing high performers.

It’s a drastically different style to experience and I wish it to anyone!

I hope this gave you a good spark of thinking for your exciting week ahead!

Maik