Bill was new to the job, and it was also his first management post. He had taken over a department of twenty people and, although he had been looking forward to his new post with great enthusiasm, after two weeks in the job he now had worries and anxieties. His problem was Kurt. Kurt was the deputy head of department and had been with the organization for eleven years. He was sixteen years older than Bill and secretly resented Billâs appointment. Kurt had not been appointed head of department because the other members of the department resented his management style, and the boss of the organization had felt that, although Kurt was an able man, the best interests of everyone would be served by appointing an outsider rather than confirming Kurt in the position of head of department.
Kurt had very strong views about his colleagues, as Bill soon found out. There was much evidence to show that most of his comments had substance to them. He spent much of his time in Billâs office explaining why he thought most people in the department were lazy and needed âa good whippingâ to make them work. When Kurt was not running down his colleagues he would discuss classical music with Bill â an interest that was close to Billâs heart. Bill was secretly pleased when Kurt went off to get on with his normal work. While he found Kurt an interesting and stimulating fellow, he did have reservations about him.
The departmental views of staff on the subject of Kurt were mixed. There was a faction that hated him and wished he would retire early. Kurt did have one or two friends, however, who were more sympathetic to his views and explained his aggressive manner away as justifiable frustration and disappointment. Bill was anxious to get off to a solid start in his new job and recognized that he lacked experience. He also felt that he needed to sort out the business of who was to be his deputy fairly quickly. Should he continue with Kurt in this role? Should he appoint someone else? Should he do without a deputy? Billâs boss wasnât much help in the matter.â Well, you have to manage with what you have,â he said in a noncommittal way.â Kurt isnât a bad bloke at heart.â Bill felt he couldnât think clearly in the matter. Something was causing a block to his thinking processes, and he could not get to grips with it.
Question
Can you identify the main sources of blocks to thinking in this instance? What should Bill do?