VUCA-WORLDThe permission to discharge
Why a boss has to give himself permission to be exonerated.
Again and again we read about what a boss should do in order to have motivated employees and principles like agile working in an organization become possible at all.
What if an employee motivates his boss?
Some bosses will ask themselves: "How is that supposed to work?" It can go with confidence and trust. In the willingness of an employee who wants to take on responsibility and help shape the success of the business according to his or her possibilities and potential. An employee who likes to come to work because he or she wants to be part of a larger whole, because he or she appreciates their colleagues in the team, with whom probably even more is possible than was previously thought possible with them together, and who therefore likes to get involved. If the boss lets him! And in many cases, which I can observe as an organizational consultant and sparring partner for top executives, this is often the crux of the matter. Instead of trust and confidence, many managers still tend to focus on the factors of their own socialization to become a manager, for example
- Role models that this manager had on her way to her own position,
- their "Command & Control" style, which they demonstrated very well,
- the implementation of learned techniques from several leadership seminars - like "proper" delegation,
- our own pride in having held the annual performance review within the deadline relevant for the bonus payment,
- all the personal effort to preserve the heroism of the highest levels of management.
The list could be continued with aspects that were still absolutely justified in an analogous time, in the industrial age 3.0. After all, they were often the guarantee for the success of a company. So what permission would executives have to give themselves to relieve themselves if they were shaped by such socialization?
- Permission for a fundamentally positive image of humanity, which assumes that an employee gives his or her best under the right conditions.
- Permission to delegate responsibility. This means that responsibility is assumed by the employee and clearly negotiated with him/her, what this means in consequence and what benefit it can have for him/her.
- Permission to lead and communicate at eye level. And this on a regular basis. As if you were buying your rolls in the morning from the baker and exchanging serious, friendly words with the saleswoman.
And there is yet another category of permission, which is often given too little attention by managers and is not encouraged enough to be considered. These are the so-called drivers and incitements that make up the personal "life script" and have their origin in Transactional Analysis (after Eric Berne and Thomas A. Harris). These are drivers such as "make an effort", "be strong" and "be perfect" (for the sake of completeness the two other drivers should be mentioned, namely "be fast" and "be pleasing"). In the case of inculcations, such as "don't show anger!" or "don't show feelings!" or "don't be a child!
The knowledge of one's own inner "commandments" and "prohibitions" is the prerequisite for a personal new decision and new behaviour. If this new decision goes hand in hand with a review of one's own view as a manager of employees and the start of an authentic discourse with them, completely new perspectives open up.
The result: relief finds space and time. For all involved!
Would you like to take a closer look at your potential for future relief? Then I look forward to exploring and discovering together!