Of Mice and Managers:
Sensing Reality in the Organization Maze

Abstract

Because of the ambiguity in modern organizations, the informal, human subtleties of managerial careers have become increasingly important. Formal rules, objectives, policies, and procedures can sometimes mislead more than they guide. Sophisticated managers know that, although their superiors might carefully document behaviors according to formal policies and procedures, they often ignore those mechanisms for the important decisions such as hiring, firing, promoting, transferring, and raising salaries. In order to understand many of the vital aspects of their arenas, managers need to learn the real priorities, values, norms, and the patterns of communication, power, and trust. They also need to be sensitive to the fact that these dynamic conditions vary for different people and different situations.

The purpose of this article is to offer some concrete suggestions on how managers can enhance their learning by sensing the realities of the informal, human dynamics of their organizations. Organizations can be viewed as complex mazes. Managers who can sense the intricate realities of the organization maze are “maze bright.” Consequently, they learn quickly, earn trust and sponsorship, and build successful careers.

Reality sensing can be defined by a framework that contrasts "maze bright" managers with "maze dull" managers. The term, "maze bright" comes from behavioral psychology. A maze bright mouse is one that quickly learns its way through mazes by learning how to avoid the shocks and still find the cheese. Jennings (1967, 1971) extended this concept to the maze brightness of managers in organizations. Maze bright managers, who quickly learn the real punishment / reward system of their organizations, are analogous to maze-bright mice.

Maze-bright managers make decisions according to the informal and subtle cues, patterns, values, risks, influence processes, norms, and priorities that characterize their arenas. They understand the informal, interpersonal aspects of their situations as well as the bureaucratic formalities. Consequently, they quickly learn the relevant strategies necessary for achieving their goals. In contrast, maze-dull managers focus on bureaucratic mechanisms. Their perceptions are restricted to isolated situations and formal rules, and they fail to discern the patterns and realities of the human side of their organizations.

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