Involvement can be bad
Regardless how great the team you’ve hired and developed, there are times when you find yourself somewhere you shouldn’t be: deep in the details of a project.
Typically, you’re sitting on the shoulder of an employee and moving their mouse by proxy. Some classify this as collaboration, but really, it’s just disgruntled cooperation.
Yes, it perhaps achieves a better outcome. But considering what it does under the surface to motivation, independent thinking, and contribution—well, it’s not good.
- For Stakeholders: This constant involvement can divert focus from strategic objectives, diluting leadership effectiveness.
- For Teams: It cultivates a dependency that stifles progress and delays responses to dynamic market conditions.
In environments where rapid adaptation is crucial, it is key to empower employees to be autonomous and accountable at an operational level.
So, why does this happen?
The Wrong Floor Detour
Not so long ago, a smart, charismatic, and involved independent hotel owner who everyone loved was the cause and effect of his hotel’s demise.
It appeared that this hotel owner had the perfect setup and customers highly rated the service they received.
The hotel was impeccably decorated with an Art Deco style and the facilities modern; all of the staff from concierge to cleaners were polite and smartly dressed; the food was even awarded a Michelin Star. Everything was of an extremely high standard.
But, these standards were hard to achieve and maintain.
Instead of residing in his penthouse office sorting the things only he could do, he would ride the elevator and nitpick everything he saw; from how the bedsheets were folded to the presentation of the front desk.
Overtime, the hotel staff lost motivation, they became demoralised, and the standards dropped. And the staff became incapable of doing anything without his direction. Until one day the hotel was flooded with negative reviews and no guests.
Eventually, the hotel found itself empty; a stark reminder of the consequences of leadership that fails to empower its people.
Morale of the story…
The “Wrong Floor Detour” happens when senior management leaves their core responsibilities to intervene with everyday operations.
As we see in the story above, this leads to employees developing conditioned thinking and a reliance on leadership for decision-making, ultimately fostering ineffective learnt behaviours and stifling valuable contributions across the organisation.
What needs to change?
- Define roles: Clarify boundaries between strategic oversight and operational autonomy to ensure smoother workflows.
- Empowerment: Cultivate decision-making skills within teams to enhance responsiveness and reduce bottlenecks.
- Feedback constructively: Implement robust feedback mechanisms that encourage continuous improvement and alignment with business goals.
Adopting these baby-step changes optimises operations and reinforces a culture of trust and accountability, crucial for navigating complex business landscapes and ever evolving consumer needs.