The great bosses give their folks a say in HOW they accomplish a task. It’s the job of leadership to set the vision and strategic direction. Managers break it down into the key goals and high level milestones that will get the company there. Then the great bosses step back and support their people as they design and implement the tactics to get there.
This serves the firm on many fronts. First of all, no matter how creative you are, one person doesn’t have access to all the knowledge, learning, experience, resources and network that his/her team does. Secondly, it creates a more invested and engaged workforce because they are empowered and in control of their daily work. They won’t feel micromanaged and it can prevent boredom since it’s up to them to find new ways to do things.
Delegating the ‘how’ doesn’t mean abandoning oversight. Weekly check-in to hold people accountable to the results and provide any missing support and resources are critical. It’s the bosses job to help clear the roadblocks and snags so the team can keep executing.
