Management to Leadership

I just came across Are Scorecards and Metrics Killing Employee Engagement? by Adrian C. Ott of the Harvard Business Review.

The article gives a good idea of management mentality in America in these times.  Management seems to be more preoccupied with covering their behinds and creating small spaces for team members, so liability is lessened.

Whatever happened to having team members think for themselves?  Trusting that the team members you have on board know right from wrong?  Fun and flexibility in the work place?

Team members are scared these days to make mistakes and think for themselves, because management have created rigid policies and procedures to follow no matter what.  If a policy or procedure is broken or bypassed because it made sense in that particular situation, then the team member is usually punished.........punished for using their brain and making a decision that would have been right for the situation so that the customer, company, and employee all win.

Policies and procedures are needed to provide guidelines to team members, however, one size does not fit all.  Companies need to focus on building team members skills and trusting they will do the right thing. When management expects the best from their team members and genuinely want them to succeed, team members gladly step up and deliver.

This is the time when Management turns into Leadership.