There's nothing more disabling than being told what to do all the time.

When that happens it drains our energy enthusiasm and effectiveness.  Worse still it numbs our initiative and our ability to think for ourselves.

OK, so when you're the boss the buck stops with you.  All the more reason then, to make sure you're treating you're people as the responsible adults they truly are so they can turn in the kind of performance they're capable of rather than simply doing what they're told.

After all, if you've done your job properly by recruiting and training people to the appropriate standards they'll probably know better than you how to do things the best way.

ACTION POINT

If you're getting in the way of your team by being dogmatic about how they do things (that's the small 'how' of method not the big 'how' of ethics and standards) try a new tactic.

When they ask you how, refuse to tell them.  Let them work it out for themselves and then tell you!

Before long they'll be coming to you with all sort of solutions, and often it will be to things you didn't even know were problems!

Then you'll be well on your way to having a high perfoming, self motived, empowered team.

No more sleepless nights!