"Conundrums" (or challenges) of Managing

Question 1

List the 5 basic “conundrums” (or challenges) of managing:

Answer 1

1. People (conundrum)
2. Thinking (conundrum)
3. Action (conundrum)
4. Information (conundrum)
5. Overall (conundrum)

Question 2

Describe the “People conundrum” of managing.

Answer 2

“The Enigma of Order” - bringing order to the work of others, when managing itself is so disorderly;
“The Paradox of Control” - maintaining a sufficient level of confidence without crossing over into arrogance.

Question 3

Describe the “Thinking conundrum” of managing.

Answer 3

“The Syndrome of Superficiality” - getting in deep when there is so much pressure to get it done.
“The Predicament of Planning” - planning, strategizing and thinking ahead in a hectic job.
“The Labyrinth of Decomposition” - finding synthesis in a world decomposed by analysis.

Question 4

Describe the “Action conundrum” of managing.

Answer 4

“The Ambiguity of Acting” - acting decisively in a complicated, nuanced world.
“The Riddle of Change” - managing change, when there is the need to maintain continuity.

Question 5

Describe the “Information conundrum” of managing.

Answer 5

“The Quandary of Connecting” - keeping informed when managing, by its own nature, removes the manager from the very things being managed.
“The Dilemma of Delegating” - delegating, when so much of the relevant info is personal, oral and often privileged.
“The Mysteries of Measuring” - managing it, when you can’t rely on measuring it.

Question 6

Describe the “Overall conundrum” of managing.

Answer 6

“The Ultimate Conundrum” - how can a manager possibly cope with all these challenges (conundrums) concurrently?
“My Own Conundrum” - how do I reconcile the fact that, while all of these conundrums can be stated separately, they all seem to be the same?