Gretchen’s face displayed confusion. “What do managers do to their teams that systematically, over time, disables them from being able to solve even the simplest of problems?†I repeated.
“You’re not thinking this is my fault, are you?” she finally spoke.
I turned my head to the side, still staring at her.
“No way,” she protested.
“Every time a manager provides the solution to a problem, it robs the team of its ability to engage the problem. Over time, the team’s ability to solve problems begins to atrophy. Before long, even the simplest of problems will be brought to the manager for solution finding.
“The team begins to enjoy this new arrangement. With the responsibility for the decision now firmly resting on the manager, so goes the responsibility for the outcome. If the outcome is poor, it’s the manager’s fault. If the outcome creates more problems, it’s the manager’s fault. Your team likes this arrangement.” -TF
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Thanks for those who responded to our survey. It only takes about a minute. We will keep the survey open until October 19. The results will help us finalize an online program we are set to release in the next three weeks. -TF
http://www.managementblog.org/survey-oct2007/
So true! Many managers arrived at their positions by becoming the best individual contributor they could be. This level of excellence led to their success. however, many tend to forget that research bears out that 3-5 people are far better at solving problems than one (or even two) experts.
see http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060423191907.htm
Empower your people by providing them tools to help facilitate problem solving, rather than robbing them of the opportunity for growth!
Scott,
Thanks for link.