Who's Got the Monkey?

William Oncken and Donald Wass

Subordinate-imposed time begins the moment a monkey successfully executes a leap from the back of a subordinate ot the back of the superior and does not end until the monkey is returned to its proper owener for care and feeding.

Why does all this happen? Because the manager and the subordinate assume at the outset, wittingly or unwittingly, that the matter under consideration is a joint problem.

"At no time while I am helping you will your problem become my problem. The instant your problem becomes mine, you will no longer have a problem. I cannot help someone who hasn't got a problem.  You may ask my help at any appointed time, and we will make a joint determination of what the next move will be and who will make it."

Transfer initiative from managers to subordinates and keep it there. The first order of business is for managers to enlarge their discretionary time by eliminating subordinate-imposed time.