What follows is a simple, yet instructive application of the power of lower participants. This game is easily played. You follow a universal principle: Busy executives are too busy to write all of their messages. Sergeants write those letters signed "The Commanding General," just as obscure staff specialists write those magazine articles attributed to Mr. Marsh. One of Ted Shelby's most productive ideas as the assistant to the Manager for Human Resources Development was his cross-functional training program. That is, it was productive for Stanley. Inconceivable? Here is how it all transpired. When Ted first came up with the cross-functional training idea, he wasn't all that enthusiastic about it himself. Ted preferred working with management, and the higher the better. Still, this was another opportunity and a new program - and that spelled Edward Wilson Shelby IV. Amazingly, Kerry Drake (the production manager) also favored this program. Not that he was worried about getting his employees trained to do what they were supposed to do, that has never been a problem for Kerry. What he liked about the program was that unlike the other programs Ted Shelby customarily inflicted on him, this one at least left his managers alone. And he couldn't see Ted Shelby doing anything to the rank and file with this program that might result in any permanent damage. So, neither Ted nor Kerry felt strongly enough about the program to want to do much about it themselves. Kerry, as usual, just didn't want to be bothered with Shelby's nonsense. And Ted was more interested in management. You spend your time with other executives, not the workers, is one of Ted's rules of thumb. The next day, Ted Shelby got together with Stanley. "I think there's a major place for you in this new cross-functional training project," Ted began in his best earnest, executive tone. "We're ready to get underway, and there's a crying need for someone to keep the program on course - schedule room arrangements, make sure that all the materials for the sessions are in order - that kind of thing. It's probably going to eat up some of your time, but I'd sure appreciate it. Tell you what, why don't you head over to production this afternoon and ask Kerry if there's anything more that needs to be done on his end. You handle it. Naturally, I'll be available if you need a decision," Ted concluded. With that, Stanley marched off dutifully to get things lined up with Kerry. But Kerry himself had little time for this kind of thing: He endured rather than supported Ted's programs, and only because he was well aware that his own effectiveness rating would suffer if he couldn't show some kind of ongoing personnel development activity. "Because you're Shelby's liaison on this, Stan," Kerry began, "I wonder if you could also do some things for us - scheduling, room arrangements, that kind of thing. I know you're plenty busy already, but Jimmie (Kerry's staff assistant) is completely tied up on the inventory right now, and I'd appreciate your help. Why don't you draft a message from me to Shelby saying that as far as we're concerned, things are ready to go." So the message was sent in Kerry's name, nowhere mentioning Stanley's involvement. A day or so later, Ted handed a hard copy to Stanley. "The first thing I'd like you to do is answer this. Kerry says he's ready to go. Tell him so am I, and that next week is fine if he can line up the conference room for Thursday and Friday. I'll handle getting the word out to his people. Oh, and one other thing, he's cooperating with me on this program, and it's something I'd like to encourage - so make sure we take a positive tone on this." (Ted uses phrases like "positive tone" to avoid having to do the work of figuring out what he really wants.) 198 Stanley took the hard copy back to the office and looked it over. It was the message he'd written for Kerry the day before! Well, answering it should be simple enough, and by way of "positive tone," he added at the end: "Incidentally, it looks like this program is shaping up well. Keep up the good work!" Two days later, Stanley was again in Kerry's office. "I see you've got everything lined up for that program of Shelby's," Kerry told him, "and I'd like you to draft another message for me, telling him when and where. He's being pretty good about this program - said that he was impressed with the job that we're doing so let's try and encourage him. Put something in the message about how I appreciate the effort at his end. That should do it. There's one thing that bothers me, though. He has a session scheduled for personnel sensitivity, and I just don't see how I can spare the people for that one. Any ideas?" "Maybe there's some way he could do that session while everybody's on the job," Stanley suggested. "Hmm," said Kerry, "put that in the message. Make sure you get that 'on-the-job' business in the title. That will appeal to him. Here's a hard copy of his last message, for reference." Stanley could scarcely believe his eyes; it was word for word the same message he'd drafted for Ted two days before! He didn't say anything about it but did just what Kerry had asked him to do, "On-the-job personnel sensitivity," he called it. And when it came to the part about complimenting the effort at Ted's end, he made sure to be duly complimentary. A couple of days later, Ted Shelby called Stanley into his office and said, "Kerry came up with a great idea, 'On-the-job personnel sensitivity,' he calls it. What a concept! Teach our people while they're on the line! I'd like you to draft a message for me right away telling him this looks like a real breakthrough, and that I'm all for it. Say, and send a courtesy copy to Mr. Marsh's office. We might as well let him know what a dynamite program we're putting together here and what a great job Kerry's people are doing on it." He gave Stanley a hard copy of Kerry's last message, which Stanley didn't need, having written it himself only a couple of days before. Stanley was only too happy to sit down at the keyboard and... By now you've got the idea. Stanley is bouncing good things about himself back and forth between two people whose good opinions are valuable to him. And, not knowing of Stanley's involvement at the other end, each is genuinely impressed. So, Stanley is getting good mileage out of this. Is Stanley being dishonest here? No, not really, because if he weren't doing a good job at both ends, he couldn't get away with this sort of trick. And if he is doing a good job, it doesn't make any difference whether he says so or Kerry says so, as long as Ted Shelby thinks Kerry says so - and vice versa. The occasion won't often arise where you find yourself writing such messages back and forth. But often enough, you will find yourself writing material in which it is easy enough to slip in a good word on your behalf. As long as it is grounded in truth, where is the harm? And, occasions do arise where you will be asked to write documents and memos for a superior who is (a) too busy to write such memos and (b) will likely take some or all of the credit for your work. The young employee is often angered by the superior taking credit for the work of others. However, often the young employee misses the point by getting angry as there is often plenty of benefit of doing the work and letting the superior take credit. Examples of such benefits are the superior's good opinion of you, the knowledge gained from writing the documents, the experience gained through the program and the training in how to delegate responsibility. Finally, remember the value of the personnel file. Even when memory has long since faded (a year or two perhaps), those high-performance appraisals from Ted and supporting merit increase request emails from Kerry in Stanley's HR folder will give eloquent testimony to his competence and, hence, his readiness for the next management "opportunity."

Q can give me answer for How could Stanley 'get away' with this, and what is the real benefit to him?