A newbie manager must gain the team's respect but not be a soft touch

You’ll be fine, and six months from now you will wonder what you were worrying about.

Q I’ve been reading about a new leadership term called “holacracy”, where formal job titles, managers and traditional hierarchies are ditched. What do you make of this new school of thought? Could it catch on?

A I’m not a trendy executive so holacracy was a new word to me, so I turned to Google. I was intrigued by a system that claims to put empowerment into the core of an organisation. But I was soon bewildered by a barrage of gobbledegook and coloured charts that talked about consensus-based governance circles, integrated decision-making and the need to manage and process tension. Everything I read was confused by complication. I then noticed I was reading about Holacracy®, an off-the- shelf management method that I guess could come with the aid of some management consultants.

It is far too complicated for me so I am going to stick to the system I call “upside-down management”. The rules are simple:

1) No one issues any orders

2) Only pick people who rate 9 or 10 out of 10

3) Trust colleagues with the freedom to do their job the way they know best

4) Managers are there to help the people in their team

5) The chief executive is responsible for creating the culture and setting the strategy

It works so well I’m thinking of calling it Upside Down Management®.

Q In a recent answer, you suggested that the internet can be a cowardly way to communicate, and I agree, especially when it comes to banks. My relationship manager is 600 miles away, and I have to use the internet. Do you think the development of the internet is always doing us a favour?

A Recently, I was talking about modern life to a school chaplain, who was worried about internet porn, the lies and bullying that can happen on Facebook. But the evils of computing are not confined to the classroom.

Some companies make it almost impossible to make contact unless you use email, and all you get for days is an automated reply. I will never forget trying to send a complimentary letter to WH Smith but the chief executive could only be reached through filling in the online form. I wanted to say how grateful I was to the guy at Euston who ran across the concourse to give me back my credit card. I got a reply saying: “We are sorry you have had cause to complain: we are very busy at the moment but we hope to deal with your problem within four working days.”

It made me wonder why so many companies hide behind a shield.

Many job applications even bids for government contracts must be made online. But I think you learn a lot more from a written application, and nothing beats meeting a candidate face-to-face.

Emails have put a premium on the handwritten letter, and praise is much better put in your own handwriting. Most of us are guilty of sending an email when personal contact is more appropriate. I confess that writing an email is often a cop-out,.

But I still think our grandchildren will find the internet does them much more good than harm.

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