How to Coach Yourself and Others Essential Knowledge For Coaching | Page 514

general autocratic style. It also appears in larger organizations where
results take precedence over rules or where politics leads to impression
management being a primary activity.
Principle
The basic principle of post-hoc management is that, as judge and jury,
the manager is always right and never to blame. In this way they can
remain secure in their job.
Vague objectives
The first sign of post-hoc management is a vague start to work, typically
with unclear and general objectives. If the manager is asked for clarity,
they will typically say something like 'you're the expert' or 'this is why
we employ you', with the implication that not knowing what indicates a
lack of competence on your part. This can be endemic in an organization
where it happens all the way up the management tree. The edict
'Managers must manage' is a typical statement by a more senior person
that essentially implies that you are on your own.
Wise in hindsight
Being right means judging others after the fact, where 20-20 hindsight
allows them to conclude what should have been done. It places the
manager as a wise expert who cannot be challenged. In fact the manager
actually uses the respect required by their formal position as a
substitute for the true respect engendered by expertise. Their seniority
thus acts as a protective wall and any challenge to their expertise is
reinterpreted as an attack on their rank, which they can repel with
accusations of insubordination.
One way of recognizing the post-hoc manager is the phrase 'Why didn't
you...' Their suggestions usually sound reasonable but do not take into
account time limitations and the myriad of other things that could have
been done. Most work planning includes decisions not to do a lot of
things that would make sense if you had the time, but get prioritized out
by the greater importance and urgency of other work.

1383