VIEWPOINTS : Lame Ducks Can Sail Away Gracefully : Reasons for Leaving Are Many, but the Best Managers Are Professionals to the End

Washington is filled with flocks of lame ducks. Many political appointees, as well as President Reagan himself, are heading into the home stretch of their current reigns in public office with little, if any, hope of ever returning.

That makes their jobs as managers particularly tricky. Just holding the staff’s attention is a major accomplishment for someone who is heading out the door.

And as the likes of Ed Meese and Howard Baker call it quits in the waning days of the Administration, the brave souls who are taking their places may have both to learn a new job and handle the near-Herculean task of motivating workers who are looking ahead to the next boss.

If they are looking for inspiration, lame duck managers in government would be wise to study their counterparts in business. Even though corporate managers don’t turn into lame ducks like clockwork every four or eight years, they face many of the same crises that their political counterparts do. And even where the parallels break down, there are interesting insights into the way both government and business work.

Lame ducks in business come into being by three paths. First, there is a manager who submits his resignation to accept a position with another company. (The political equivalent is a David Stockman or Larry Speakes leaving public life for Wall Street.) The announcement changes things immediately. Subordinates start looking for new alliances, new people to talk to, new sources for answers to problems. Managers about to leave get the feeling that they already are gone.

Suddenly, at meetings, a departing manager’s voice, although still loud, is either ignored or not as forceful as in days past. Or he is not even asked to attend meetings. (Although, come to think of it, what could be better than that?) For Washingtonians, of course, there is the additional cruelty of not being invited to the exclusive party circuit.

In the business world, this situation often has its advantages. Many projects, still only half done, can be completed with ease because no new projects are being started. Being relieved of certain responsibilities and stresses, with another job waiting around the corner or across the country, allows time to file all the papers that were never filed and generally to put matters in order. It can be a period of bowing out gracefully and trying to leave a good impression on the minds of people who may be future job references or hires.

Cleaning out one’s files, however, can present a threat to some companies. When managers announce plans to leave to join a competitor, they often are shown the door immediately. The company’s fear is that, in cleaning out the files, a full collection of company secrets can be accumulated.

Such action may sound cruel, but it is a necessity, a fact of business life. It’s “nothing personal, just business.”

A second type of lame duck manager is one who is asked to fill a position as an “acting” or “interim” manager while a search is made for a permanent replacement.

Any acting manager is a caretaker, one who looks after the day-to-day activities but does not initiate any new programs. There is no house cleaning or reorganizing. That is left to the eventual permanent replacement. But there are many activities that require immediate decisions, and the acting manager is empowered to take action where necessary.

Many years ago, I was asked to be an acting plant manager. As sometimes is the case, I was an active candidate for the permanent position. I used the four months as acting plant manager to get to know the staff and the plant problems.

Sure enough, when it came time for me to be interviewed for the job, one of the questions I was asked was, “What do you see as the major problems of the plant?” I was in a far better position than any of my competitors because I knew the situation first hand. The result: I got the job. Being a supposedly lame duck gave me a wonderful opportunity to become a soaring duck. (Actually, I always pictured myself as more of an eagle.)

When former Pennsylvania Gov. Richard Thornburgh replaces Meese as the head of the Justice Department, he ought to take the same approach. If he plays his cards right--and if George Bush is elected president--chances are Thornburgh will be asked to stay on as attorney general in the next Administration.

Acting managers who are named permanent managers can shift into high gear quickly. On the other hand, if an assistant plant manager or an undersecretary of this or that is asked to take the acting position but is later turned down for the permanent position, there can be trouble. It’s frequently very difficult for a rejected candidate to accept, and work smoothly with, a new boss. The rejected candidate, often a valuable employee, is likely to look for a new job.

The third type of lame duck manager is one whose retirement plans are widely known well in advance. If everyone knows that when Joe reaches age 65, six months or a year from now, he will retire, he automatically slips into a lame duck mode.

In such situations, a manager may offer advice on the replacement and assist with the transition. If a replacement is found before the retirement date, the lame duck manager will begin to share responsibilities with the new manager while slowly vanishing from the scene.

This is a very trying period for a manager who has helped shape a company or department. Suddenly, he finds out that he is replaceable. Knowing that over the years he has done a good job, if not an outstanding job, it is still difficult to step aside, to give up the reins, and to head off into a less exciting and somewhat uncertain future. To borrow from T. S. Eliot, “the world ends not with a bang but a whimper.”

Inspiring Examples

Although Meese may not be moving into permanent retirement, he seems to fall into something akin to this category. He has certainly assisted the President in finding a replacement, and, except for the problems haunting him, he could silently fade away when Thornburgh is confirmed.

What’s the best way for lame duck managers go about motivating the staff? With professionalism, plain and simple. Lacking the clout to make crucial long-term decisions, acting bosses, even more than permanent managers, should lead by setting inspiring professional examples.

And if for nothing other than posterity’s sake, lame duck managers should be true professionals to the end, remembering that they hold powers and responsibilities until their last day in the job. That includes preparing, among other things, a “turnover” report for their successors.

Finally, whatever success we achieve is not singly by our hand or effort. So when it is time to leave, it’s proper to thank sincerely those who have helped. I would exit smiling.

As for political lame ducks, particularly those who are far away from retirement age, I advise two things. First, I’d make sure my resume was out and well distributed. Second, I’d be putting my network--the people I’ve met over the years, whether in business or in government--into action scouting for me, pushing my name, recommending me. After all, it soon will be time to prepare for the post-election flight south.