Still on the theme of SatNavs and the parallels in the workplace….

Have you noticed how quite often when you use a SatNav you stop thinking about the route and leave it entirely in the hands of the lady in the box?

It’s great when it works but it’s slightly scary what can happen to some people when they allow others to dictate their decisions.

Fortunately I’ve never spent three days following the SatNavs instructions across International boundaries whilst trying to get to Tescos, but there are tales every now and then in the press of those who do.

It sounds unbelievable but it’s so easily done. If someone tells you what to do every step of the way, you don’t need to think and things can go spectacularly wrong when you abdicate responsibility for all decision making and ultimately getting to your destination.

Unfortunately it happens in the workplace too.

On our Line Management course we often come across managers who give detailed instructions to their staff and then wonder why they’re not thinking for themselves and keep coming back with every little hiccup and endless questions.  If you’re doing all the thinking for your staff then something is wrong somewhere.

The issue is that by telling them exactly what to do we’ve assumed responsibility for all their actions. So when they get stuck they go to the person who they know from experience will think about the issue, solve the problem and tell them what to do next.

We train people to behave in the way they do for us. If we want them to act differently then we need to retrain them.

That might mean coaching and asking questions instead of telling;

It might mean pointing them at a source of information where they can find a solution for themselves;

Or it might mean leaving them to think it through on their own with the assurance that you know they’ll think of something.

It can mean letting them make some not so good decisions so they learn from their mistakes.

Sometimes it means just listening as they go through the issues and possible solutions themselves – just reflecting back and not offering to solve anything for them.

It doesn’t take long before the person learns that if they want a solution they might have to think for themselves, rather than relying blindly on you.

Which means there less likely to find themselves blithely driving into a raging river, because that’s where the path they think you gave them ended up, and blaming you for the result.