Maturity in Management and Leadership

Maturity is a psychological term used to indicate that an individual responds to the circumstances or environment in an appropriate and adaptive manner.  The individual’s response is generally learned rather than instinctual and this maturity does not depend on one’s age.  An individual’s maturity encompasses being aware of the correct time and place to behave and knowing when and how to respond.

The key to an organization’s success depends on the maturity of the organization’s management and leadership.  Management methodologies must adapt and become more mature to keep up with increasingly sophisticated risks, threats, regulations, personnel and many other challenges.

But what happens if management maturity continues to lag behind?  Lessons learned clearly reveal the answer and the results are not good for organizations, their leaders and their bottom line.

Two management methodologies that clearly lag in maturity are binders and once-a-year general training, yet most organizations still use and depend on these methods.

Do managers really believe every individual reads their organization’s binders? 

Do managers really think that individuals take time to sort through each binder and determine which roles and responsibilities apply to them and which ones do not? 

Do managers have any way to know for sure if individuals have read appropriate policies and procedures and understand each of their roles and responsibilities? 

What about once-a-year general training? Do managers believe general training is enough to make sure individuals are aware of the right information at the right time to make the right decisions for your organization’s specific needs? 

Are your management methodologies mature enough to keep up and effective in ensuring all appropriate individuals know when and how to respond in different situations?