🏔️ LxI #012: Thank Me Later- 3 Ways To Stop Thinking About Performance

Read Time: “Quick as a whip”

To be a great Manager you need to be in complete control.

You should know everything about the work your team is doing, fully understand the ins and outs of their roles, and keep an eye on what they are doing all day to make sure they are “actually working”. This mindset is huge among leaders who think the best way to great results was through control - and it’s dead wrong.

The best managers value coordination over control.

Coordinating managers triple the likelihood of their employees being high performers.

What’s amazing is that these results are proven true regardless of industry, region, or job function. Managers who choose to focus on people rather than results see increases in employee engagement, problem-solving, and team performance by crazy increases. We’re talking nearly double.

It’s tempting to believe that we need to maintain control of our employees. Otherwise, how will you know that the work is getting done the right way?

Instead of fearing loss of control, start with trust.

This sounds pretty fluffy, I know. But it’s not - I’m going to show you how.

At the core of every manager’s job are relationships. In order for any relationship to thrive, there must be trust. Some leaders make people work to earn their trust, while others give it freely upfront.

I’m going to argue that the latter is much more effective (and it cost you nothing). Fear is often underneath the desire to make people earn your trust. That’s understandable - especially if you’ve been burned before.

Here are a few steps you can take to make the switch easy on yourself:

Tip #1: Get to know your employees — really. When you know someone it makes it easier to trust them. Ask them about their hobbies, how their weekend went, their favorite band or book. Who knows, you might just find yourself a new crocheting buddy 😉 .

Tip #2: Fix problems, not people. When something goes wrong, (which things tend to do) focus on what system failed rather than what the person involved did wrong. Often times we make mistakes because we haven’t been trained properly or the right systems are not in place to support us.

Tip #3: Make it about the team. Encourage your team to share their skills and knowledge when it makes sense. Creating an open loop of communication gives your people the support of the group rather than just you. When people feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves, they tend to show up in incredible ways.

When you fall into the trap of maintaining control, you’re on the fast track to a life of burnout, performance issues, and unhappy employees.

When you start with trust, everybody wins.

Until next week friends.

-Shaun