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Set-Up-to-Fail Syndrome
July 1, 2013
Friendship doubles our joy and divides our grief.
-Swedish proverb
-Swedish proverb
- You start with a positive relationship.
- Something — a missed deadline, a lost client — makes you question the employee's performance. You begin micromanaging him.
- Suspecting your reduced confidence, the employee starts doubting himself. He stops giving his best, responds mechanically to your controls, and avoids decisions.
- You view his new behavior as additional proof of his mediocrity — and tighten the screws farther.
Here is Manzoni's prescription for avoiding this syndrome:
- Establish expectations with new employees early. Loosen the reigns as they master their jobs.
- Regularly challenge your own assumptions. Ask "What are the facts regarding the employee's performance?"
- Convey openness, letting employees challenge your opinions. They will feel comfortable discussing their performance and relationship with you.
Managing people is fraught with challenges: What really motivates people? How do you deal with problem employees? How can you build a team that is greater than the sum of its parts?
The answers to these questions can be elusive — even to a seasoned manager. This valuable resource will help you deal with these and many other management challenges.
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Comments (3)
Displaying All 3 CommentsUnited States
Not a good idea to micromanage staff. People want to feel valued, not like everything they do is wrong or second guessed. It is not always about the money, it's about feeling respected and trusted. Have faith in the people that have been hired to do the job. You will have a great team, if you are a great team leader. A team is only as great as it's leader. Thought for today- If you don't have a great team, don't blame the team members, look at the leader.
United States
This is an article that should be read by every manager. I don't understand why managers don't realize that if they praise their employees instead of always criticizing them they will get better results. It is not always about the money, it is about how you make a person feel. If I feel valued I am going to do my best to make sure I do work to continue to feel valued. Manage your staff the way you want to be managed. No one wants to be micromanaged. Have faith in the people that have been hired to do the job. It will take your team a long way.
Daycare In Demand
Portsmouth, NH, United States
Great post! Micromanaging employees is one of the quickest (and surest) ways to rattle their faith in themselves and de-motivate them. I would also add that it's important to hire people smarter than you are - given proper guidance and supervision, they will often come up with ideas and solutions that will astound you and make your business run infinitely better.
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