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Giving Control to the Team
"I want to do it myself. I want to do it myself!"

I think those might have been the first words from my boy. In two weeks he turns four and each day brings with it a new level of independence and a desire to accomplish things without Daddy's help. Even learning how to do things like pouring milk into a cup and have most of it stay off the kitchen floor brings confidence with each new step on his path to manhood.

This is the same way your employees feel when they come to work everyday. They want to do it themselves. They want to do it themselves!

I don't think there's a single employee in the world of work who likes to be micro-managed. But I can't say I don't blame managers for wanting to try to control everything with their staff. Their careers are on the line and the targets have to be met each month. The manager is responsible for all results and outcomes of the team. If it's an owner who's managing the operation of his own company, then even his personal credit rating is at stake with each purchase of product and inventory. The pressure can be intense for managers to achieve results and many times there appears to be no other option except to manage with a command and control mindset.

But if these well-intentioned company managers don't find better methods to reach the targets of their group then they will burn out and burn bridges. They'll run out of the time and energy required to stay sharp and they'll run out of people who will end up sticking around to be pushed around.

The role of a leader is to create an environment that incites and inspires the team to want to perform. Your team should take ownership to develop solutions themselves and willingly implement them. In fact, true leadership is invisible. At the end of the day, you want the team to say, "We did this ourselves. This was our problem and we found the solution. We own it and we solved it all by ourselves."

Consider opening up this discussion when you meet at your next staff meeting:
  1. Tell your employees what you perceive to be the ideal outcome. Ask for their input and agreement on this outcome.
  2. Ask them what action steps they need to take to achieve the outcome. If you tell them what to do then you are still a boss. If they come up with the ideas themselves then you are now a leader. When they come up with the idea, then it's theirs and they own it. And if they own it, then they're committed to doing it. And if they're committed, then the odds increase that things will actually get done.
  3. Steer them away from potential catastrophes, but give them latitude to make mistakes. And when they do, use mistakes as learning moments. A friend of mine, Jeffrey Gitomer in Charlotte, owns a very successful sales training company where he rewards his employees $100 for each mistake they make. (If I started working there when I was twenty-two, I could have retired by now just off of the 'mistake bonus plan'.) He has created a team where there is no fear of trying, no fear of effort, no fear of creativity. No kidding. It really works.
  4. Ask your employees about target dates. What do they believe is a realistic target date for the final outcome?
  5. "Would it be okay if I kept you accountable at these benchmark dates?" Most people won't have a problem being asked. As a manager you have the right to check on anything they are doing at any time anyway. But when you ask for permission you are earning a follower and gaining buy-in for completion.
  6. Follow up with this question with your employee: "Is there anything that I can do to help you reach this outcome?" This will open doors to solutions and will build a better working relationship.
Remember, more than anything, we all want to be in control of our lives. And if you follow these steps you'll never hear anyone complaining about not having the chance to do it themselves.
About the Author
Copyright (c) 2004 Scott Love
Scott Love improves employee performance by showing managers how to put meaning back into work, how to build authentic employee motivation, and how to lead. To have him speak at your annual franchise, association, or corporate meeting, call him at 828-225-7700. To access his leadership resources and archive of leadership articles, visit www.scottlove.com.

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