Give Control to the Team

"I want to do it myself. I want to do it myself!"

That's all my son seems to say since he turned three a few months ago. 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 pour 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.

These are the same feelings that your employees bring with them to work everyday. They want to do it themselves. They want to do it themselves!

No one likes to be micro-managed. But I can't say I don’t blame managers for wanting to control everything with their staff. Their careers are on the line and the targets have to be met each quarter. The manager is responsible for all 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 inventory. The pressure can be intense for managers to achieve results and many times there appears to be no other option that is as effective as managing with a command and control mindset.

But if these well-intentioned company managers don't find better methods to facilitate the outcomes 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 relationships with those who tolerate micromanagement.

The role of a leader is to create an environment that causes 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."

Consider leading your team through this line of dialogue when you meet with them.

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 are telling them what to do then you are still a boss. If they come up with the ideas themselves then you are a leader.

3) Guide them away from catastrophe, but give them latitude to make mistakes. And when they do, use mistakes as learning moments with your staff. 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 in my early twenties, I could have retired by now.) 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 would be a realistic target date for the final outcome?

5) Ask your employees this: "Would it be okay if I kept you accountable at these benchmark dates?" Most employees 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.

6) Follow up with this question with your employee: "Is there anything that I can do to help you in reaching this outcome?" This will open doors of opportunities to solve the issue and will build a better working relationship.

Remember, more than anything, we 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.

Scott Love shows managers and sales people how to manage their risk and win the game of business. He is a professional speaker and can be reached at 828-225-7700 or on his website at www.nolimitachievement.com