{"id":23674,"date":"1989-04-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"1989-04-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/1989\/04\/01\/water-cooler-management\/"},"modified":"1989-04-01T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"1989-04-01T00:00:00","slug":"water-cooler-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/water-cooler-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Water Cooler Management"},"content":{"rendered":"

You’ve probably heard of Management-By-Walking-Around. When I was an administrator at Fuller Theological Seminary, we came up with a new term-“Water Cooler Management.”<\/p>\n\n

The two programs for which I was responsible were merged into one office operation. An excellent team was forged, but one problem remained: the water cooler. Half the team had had their own office water cooler prior to moving into our office.<\/p>\n\n

Early in the transition, members of the transplanted office group approached me requesting a refrigerated water cooler. “We’re a little short of space in this office,” I replied, “and besides, there’s one just across the hall.” However, wanting to be a good participative manager, I delegated this decision to the combined staff team: “You do the research and make the decision.”<\/p>\n\n

A week later they came to me with a recommendation to buy a certain model and handed me the papers to sign to implement their decision. Again I expressed my reservations about the project, but I signed the papers.<\/p>\n\n

Several days later, I walked into the office and saw this water cooler boldly bubbling in the corner. I didn’t like it. From my perspective it turned a professional reception area into a staff lounge. So I told the staff how I felt-reiterating that we really didn’t need the water cooler and that it failed to fit the “professional ambiance” of the office. Basically I was saying they’d made the wrong decision. <\/p>\n\n

A woman who had worked with me for several years-one who hadn’t even supported the water cooler-took me aside.<\/p>\n\n

“Walt,” she said, “you’re acting out of character from what you believe and teach. Did you really delegate the decision?” In a loving way, she asked if I were playing some parenting game, expecting the children to make my decision. When they didn’t, it looked as if I were pouting.<\/p>\n\n

She was right! Without saying so, I had delegated the decision as long as it was done my way. That was bad management, not delegation. When I delegated the water cooler decision, I had transferred to them the authority to determine the outcome. It was their decision. But my behavior now denied I had delegated the authority.<\/p>\n\n

Fortunately, someone cared enough to call me to abide by my own stated management values. I apologized to the staff and acknowledged that I was out of line. It was their decision, and I would support it.<\/p>\n\n

Ever after that, when someone would delegate incompletely, we would refer to it as “Water Cooler Management.” And in the reception area of the Doctor of Ministry office, there remains a monument to complete delegation.<\/p>\n\n

-Walter C. Wright, Jr.<\/p>\n\n

Regent College <\/p>\n\n

Vancouver, B.C.<\/p>\n\n

Copyright © 1989 by the author or Christianity Today\/Leadership Journal<\/em>.\nClick here<\/a> for reprint information on Leadership Journal<\/em>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You’ve probably heard of Management-By-Walking-Around. When I was an administrator at Fuller Theological Seminary, we came up with a new term-“Water Cooler Management.” The two programs for which I was responsible were merged into one office operation. An excellent team was forged, but one problem remained: the water cooler. Half the team had had their Read more…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"tax_ctp_authors":[3279],"tax_ctp_books":[],"tax_ctp_categories":[154],"tax_ctp_field_guide_subcategory":[],"tax_ctp_field_guides":[],"tax_ctp_format":[131],"tax_ctp_multimedia":[],"tax_ctp_point_editor":[],"tax_publications":[612,156,614],"tax_ctp_tags":[4419,5127,5160],"tax_ctp_topics":[],"class_list":["post-23674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tax_ctp_authors-walter-c-wright-jr","tax_publications-1989-leadership-journal","tax_publications-leadership-journal","tax_publications-spring_1989-leadership-journal","tax_ctp_tags-management","tax_ctp_tags-teamwork","tax_ctp_tags-time-management"],"acf":{"scripture_references":null},"yoast_head":"\nWater Cooler Management - CT Pastors<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You've probably heard of Management-By-Walking-Around. 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