Jupiter's dilemma

[Manuel]

A friend of mine, Hermann, recently told me his case: he is a young, dynamic and eager manager who has accepted a new job a short time ago. He was lured into the position with a promise that in a very short period of time he would succeed his boss, a seasoned manager close to retirement age and with a penchant for the status quo. Unfortunately for Hermann, he soon realised that his position as an apprentice had been imposed on his boss, who had no intention of retiring for the moment – the issue of replacement on retirement had never been mentioned to him. Hermann was hoping to learn from his bosses’ experience, but Hermann’s boss knows that that would make Hermann gain power and influence and, ultimately, precipitate his own end. Hence, Hermann’s boss prefers not to educate his apprentice and to force him to keep a low profile, hindering his efforts to learn and excel. He is forcing Hermann into a damaging mediocrity.



Hermann faces rejection and persuasion dilemmas wrt his boss. This has led Hermann to feel negative emotion and to occasional and mild undermining of his boss’ position, although never enough to break the boss-apprentice relationship. He knows he could surrender to negative emotion and start a war. he’s seen it happening before in a similar case, in which the older boss was finally ousted by an aggressive apprentice. But Hermann is a calculating and cautious individual, and he doesn’t want to risk a war that may easily end up in him being sacked, or a war that he can only win at the cost of not learning from his boss’ experience. However, in his view, adopting a compromising tone equates to accepting his boss’ position, i.e. keeping a low profile and accepting not to learn or to gain any power or influence in the organisation, because Hermann’s boss will never accept to educate he who may oust him.

What should Hermann do? Start a war or accept to be condemned to mediocrity until his boss decides to retire?

Following dilemma analysis, I’d say that Hermann could try to add some appealers to his position, i.e. try to make his position more appealing to his boss than the threatened future. He could try to find ways of becoming useful to his boss, in order to get rid of his persuasion dilemma. If Hermann managed to get rid of his persuasion dilemma through a combination of making himself useful and adopting a conciliatory tone, he would be giving his boss a rejection dilemma, which he would probably be under pressure to address using positive emotion - as a way of reciprocating Hermann's efforts. However, Hermann’s boss is not giving him many chances to being useful – that’s exactly what he’s trying to avoid – so this option is extremely difficult to implement.
Hermann could also try to make the threatened future worse for his boss, by being difficult or undermining his position, but that may start the war he is trying to avoid.

Does anybody have any other suggestions to help Hermann achieve a more promising position in his company?

[drama theorist]

Manuel

It seems to me the clue lies in 2 things -- one of which you've looked at, the other you haven't.

You're right, I think, that Hermann should try making his position more appealing to his boss. However, I'd say that being conciliatory & making himself useful aren't the best way of setting about it.

Hermann needs to take his boss's point of view & think what would really appeal to him. From your account, it seems his boss is well aware of why Hermann was hired -- to supplant him because he's considered out-of-date. Quite naturally, he doesn't like it. So surely what his boss would like is for Hermann to stop siding with those that are against him & start taking his boss's side. And it seems this is quite possible, since Hermann would like his boss to educate him & help his progress. It follows that Hermann feels he can learn from his boss & be helped -- therefore he must respect his boss in some ways. Yet his boss evidently doesn't think so, or he wouldn't be trying to hold Hermann down.

There seems actually to be a contradiction in Hermann's thinking. He seems to despise his boss while at the same time wanting to be educated by him & supported in his career!

This suggests better ways for Hermann to make his position appealing to his boss. And it would be quite easy to start a fresh approach since, from what you say, Hermann & his boss haven't openly communicated to each other the positions & assumptions they're making -- they just suspect each other of having them. This (if true) is what you don't point out, the fact that they're holding back from communicating their positions clearly due to the pathology of conflict avoidance.

This gives Hermann a chance to communicate positions & assumptions that could make him & his boss a mutually supportive pair of players, rather than a couple in conflict.

I can only make suggestions, not being able to question Hermann as to what's possible. But I'd suggest Hermann think of adding the following options for himself, his boss & Consequences:

-- Herman: praise his boss to others -- ie, think of the reasons why he respects his boss & contradict the general opinion by boosting him. This is bound to raise Hermann in everyone's opinion, as much or more than his boss.

-- Boss: help Hermann's progress, not merely refrain from hindering it.

-- Consequences: be that boss may gain power & influence. This is what his boss would like, & what Herman should tell his boss. If Hermann expects this, & doesn't expect to oust his boss, his boss will want Hermann to gain in power & influence as well. Note that Hermann may well oust his boss all the same. But in the circumstances he seem more likely to do so by not trying than by trying!

In sum, I'd suggest an agreement between Hermann & his boss as shown in the following options board. I'd suggest Hermann tries to get this agreement as follows.

1. Think of the reasons why you respect your boss. Go & tell them to others in the organisation.

2. Go & tell your boss why you respect him, tell him you've been saying this to others, & say that's why you've been hoping he'll educate you & help you to progress. Ask him if he'll do this. Does he think you're good enough?

3. Say you don't think you'll ever be as good at his job as your boss. But you want to learn what you can for the sake of whatever you do in the future.

Note: how Hermann sends these messages must depend on him & his boss. I'm suggesting they might be the right messages to send.



Another point: if Hermann later begins to doubt whether his boss is implementing this agreement, his boss will have a cooperation dilemma that Herman can work upon. In general, if either side has doubts, it would be a good idea to look at the shadow confrontation that would then underlie their collaboration.

[Manuel]

Thanks for your post. I agree with your analysis.
As a note, when Hermann first explained his case, I told him that he should probably try to define his position making it more appealing to his boss, communicate to him and try to reach a collaboration agreement in the common interest. Hermann's initial position, the one shown in the first options board, has nothing of interest for his boss, so adding appealers could be a way forward for him. So my initial comments coincided with what you say in your post, alhough you take it much further and suggest specific options for Hermann, which I didn't.
I am actually glad that you emphasised the need to communicate each other's positions in this case, because Hermann is a bit sceptical on drama theoretic analysis. He seems to be more reassured now that he has seen we have both reached the same conclusion independently.

Hermann is now considering your advice and he's promised to let me know what he decides to do in the end, and the results of it. I'll post an update when I know more about it. In the meanwhile, should Hermann decide to implement your suggestions, I have modelled the agreement with the doubts that may arise wrt its implementation:



I have also modelled the shadow confrontation that would underlie the suggested collaboration agreement.



From this I'd say that, if they reach an agreement, Hermann should try to play upon his bosses' cooperation dilemma and try to avoid to mention - and fall - in the shadow confrontation as much as possible. Otherwise, he'd find himself again beset by persuasion and rejection dilemmas, only they would be much more difficult to overcome with positive emotion the second time.