Way back when I started this blog I wrote about the importance of creating a culture of no surprises, so it was with great interest that I read HBS’ Jim Heskett’s thoughts regarding the importance of a No Surprise Management (NSM), either. (Heskett’s previous discussion about servant leadership formed the basis of another recent post.)

Bosses don’t like surprises from their direct reports. But “no surprise management” works just as well when bosses don’t surprise those lower in the organization, says Jim Heskett.

Heskett is worth following, because he doesn’t lecture, let alone pontificate; rather posits a brief scenario, asks ‘what do you think, and draws his many readers into adding their thoughts creating a far richer level of information.

NSM should be a no-brainer for bosses at all levels, not just senior management.

As Larry Slate, Organ Preservation Supervisor, Gift of Life Michigan, so aptly puts it in comments,

Employees are expected to “dedicated, professional, accurate and ethical”. As employees we expect the same from management.

Or, as one manager recently said to me about his boss, “I give what I get.”

I think that pretty well sums up people’s feelings on NSM, as well as most other workplace topics.

Flickr image credit: Giorgos Michalogiorgakis