To have more control, give it to employees! This is the thrust of a very interesting article by Ranjay Gulati (read it here). In the article, Gulati highlights the tensions between employee empowerment and operational discipline. Leaders typically fluctuate between giving too much freedom and not enough.
To address the fluctuations, Gulati proposes implementing well designed and well implemented guidelines to both support and nurture employees. When done well, these provide a “clear positive, galvanizing, sense of where the organization is trying to go”. Essentially this is a “freedom within a framework” approach.
What does this mean? As Gulati says, “it means trusting employees to thank and act independently on behalf of the organisation”. Does that sound dangerous? Yes it is, but what Gulati points out very clearly is that “people now enjoy innumerable channels for sharing concerns and ideas in their personal lives. Compared with these expansive platforms for self-expression, the work-place can feel downright stifling. The freedom of the outside world is banging at the corporate door, demanding to come inside.”
The challenge for leaders is to open that door!
Using some very relevant and interesting case studies as examples, Gulati summarizes the change in a simple model involving:
- Purpose
- Priorities
- Principles
When leaders and employees are clear on what these mean for the organisation, the opportunity exists for a framework which cares less about control and more about empowerment. And when that happens, everyone wins.
The Avondale Business School (ABS) can help your organisation become a winning one, simply contact Dr Warrick Long via [email protected] or 02 4980 2168.