I just read an interesting post at Inc.com from Paul Spiegelman, 10 Leadership Practices to Stop Today. Spiegelman notes that we're in the middle of a dramatic change in how businesses are are led and managed: moving from old school command-and-control, to what he calls "trust and track." I agree - and I support his contention that the 10 practices Speigelman cites are outmoded and counterproductive. And his proposed alternative practices are spot-on. As I was reading, though, I noticed that all of his advice boils down to one thing:
Treat your employees as trusted, valued partners - rather than as replaceable, interchangeable parts.
This is a powerful idea. I've seen over the years that doing this is the one thing most likely to increase the probability that the best people in your organization will stay and thrive.
Here's how to do it:
1) Be mentally respectful: Notice how you talk to yourself about your employees. If your internal monologue is dismissive, condescending, or inauthentic - it will leak out into your interactions with them. For instance, if you regularly think "They don't care about..." or "They can't be trusted to..." or "they'll never notice if I..." think about the impact that has on how you're behaving toward them, and how they're responding.
2) Assume positive intent: Command and control practices arise out of the belief that people are basically lazy and selfish, and that if you don't keep after them every moment they'll goof off/ mess up/rob you blind. Treating employees as trusted and valued partners means coming to work every day assuming that your employees are good, smart, well-intentioned people who want to do the best work they're capable of doing. If you make that assumption, the vast majority of employees - who actually are like that - will thrive, and the few who aren't will reveal themselves to be unworthy of your positive assumptions, and you can let them go.
3) Invite them in: On a daily basis, actively involve your employees in thinking and acting with you for the good of the business. Share critical information, ask for their opinions, solve problems together. When one of your folks has a great idea, implement it and give him or her credit. When someone (including you) makes a mistake, get curious about what happened and focus together on how to keep it from happening again. When something goes well, celebrate together.
These things seem so simple...but way too many managers and leaders don't do them. What do you think gets in the way?
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Erika’s new book, Leading So People Will Follow, has been named on of Amazon's 'hot new releases.' Booklist called it “a book to read more than once, and to consult many times.”
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