Playing it safe might be the most dangerous thing a leader can do
By Dr. Ken Blanchard
Today’s leaders are still holding their breath. The global economy has improved in some regions but has yet to turn the corner in others. As a result, many leaders are playing it safe, keeping a tight rein on everything—especially spending—and monitoring employee output closely. Add it all together and you have the recipe for micromanaging, one of the big mistakes leaders make that can end up backfiring on them.
Micromanaging can be especially damaging when employees perceive a corresponding decrease in support and commitment on the part of management. As Chris Edmonds, a senior consulting partner with The Ken Blanchard Companies explains, “Leaders are focusing on maintaining productivity and service levels with a smaller workforce. Direct reports are therefore experiencing greater workloads and greater stress. A number of studies throughout the recession indicate that staff members do not feel that their organizations treated employees entirely honorably during the downturn. Reductions in force that broke the employment covenant and reductions in merit increases or raises have left many employees indicating that they will actively be seeking employment elsewhere when the economy improves.”
Edmonds believes employers may start seeing a talent drain as early as the latter part of this year as staff begin seeking out positions with employers who will value them more highly. In the meantime, and perhaps even more damaging, these same workers are content to “quit and stay,” emotionally checking out on their current employers and just doing enough to remain below the radar and maintain their jobs.
Allowed to remain unchecked, this attitude can spread and soon an organization finds itself battling a general malaise and heaviness. Performance is sluggish, but improvement is hard to pinpoint. The organization is surviving, but it isn’t thriving. Worse yet, attitude and morale issues begin to surface as employees question the “fairness” of it all. This is often experienced as an entitlement mentality, something that many organizations are experiencing.
Breaking the negative cycle
A damaging negative cycle can ensue as managers bemoan the entitlement mentality of employees while employees point to a perceived injustice in the way work is assigned, managed, and rewarded. Once this cycle starts, it can be difficult to reverse. Organizations can hope that employees will rise above the situation, but a more likely scenario is that leaders will have to take the first step.
Edmonds has several suggestions for leaders who are looking to move from a survive mentality to a thrive approach. In broad terms, Edmonds recommends that leaders trade in their micromanaging ways and, instead, step back and:
- Refocus on strategy. Identify key organizational objectives and connect department, team, and individual goals to overall strategy.
- Engage staff and leverage skills. Take a positive approach. Trade in a defensive posture seeking to “avoid mistakes” and instead move in a positive direction that explores strengths and possibilities.
- Support and serve. See your role as “chief obstacle remover” instead of “inspector general.” Make it easier for staff to work the plan without interference.
This is especially true with instances where managers are leading staff who have specialized skills, or who may be much more experienced, smarter, and skilled in their function than the leader is. As Edmonds explains, “A leader who manages with an assumption that they must control decisions in this environment will create a disaster. The leader needs to coach from the sideline, get the strategy clear, and then let the talent drive the appropriate activity. The leader needs to be kept informed so they can coach and refine the plan ‘in the moment’, but for the most part, enable the subject matter experts to act upon their knowledge.”
Tremendous benefits for organizations that are able to shift
A conservative game plan that focuses primarily on avoiding mistakes may be appropriate on a limited basis during uncertain times. At some point though, organizations need to break out of a defensive mindset and start focusing on growth again. Some organizations will be front-runners with this, most will wait for more confirmation that things are truly better, and others will be late to the game. Leading is about going somewhere. Where are you going? Are you moving forward—or are you standing still?
Leaders who set a strong vision, develop an aligned strategy, and engage talented staff in pursuit of that vision by encouraging, removing hurdles, and marshalling resources will always outperform those who remain reactive and only hope for the best.
Go for it
No leader can make brilliant decisions every time. No leader can know everything about everything in the workplace. That shouldn’t keep you from taking action. Leaders need to leverage their talented staff to ensure the best decisions are made “in the moment.” Those same talented staff can help monitor when the environment changes and a shift in direction is needed to stay on track. Leaders need to trust and enable talented staff members to help keep the enterprise on the right path.
Strategies based on fear (of making mistakes, of costing the company money, of wasting time/resources/etc.) create a defensive mindset. It may seem like a safe strategy, but there are always missed opportunities that cost the company customers, new markets, and deepening success in current markets.
Creating a safe, inspiring, positive, trusting work environment will generate gains in employee work passion (engagement), customer devotion, and financial success. Edmonds points to a division of a global retailer he’s worked with since 2009 that posted 20–25% gains in these three areas—in the midst of a recession!
Send your organization in the direction of success. Drive out fear. Replace it with positivity. You’ll retain and inspire top staff, build and develop new markets, and get your company growing again!