Managing People Makes Them Stupid

Some Things We All Know Instinctively

1. MWe – (Me and We) are intelligent. Mostly, in any given circumstance we either know what to do, or we can figure out what to do. That is what's got us this far
2. The more autonomous we are the quicker we figure out what's next, regardless of the novelty of the circumstances
3. The more context we have the easier it is for us to figure out the most useful actions to take to get the outcomes we want. Even when the context changes our actions will change too
4. We are naturally responsible – response-able, pretty much a natural reflex
5. Our bias is to look good and avoid looking bad, so the approval of others figures in our decision-making, just as much as producing desired outcomes. Good to be aware of this one
6. We are survival mechanisms. Survival is programmed into our DNA. The fight, flight and freeze mechanism is what has kept our species evolving. We need it to keep us safe. We don't need it to keep us scared and stuck which is also part of the survival design
7. We are extraordinary when we connect our actions to our values, when we are passionate about what we are doing, when we are working with people we admire and respect
8. We are purpose-driven even when we not able to say what our purpose is in a neat sentence or two, we are purposeful nonetheless.

We Don't Need To Be Managed

When we are "managed" we naturally surrender our own intelligence and defer to the intelligence of our "manager"

Occasionally deferring to someone else is smart, after all, we all have blind spots. However, it is when we surrender our autonomy when deferring to someone else that we risk becoming stupid. 

Paradoxically in those moments of surrendering our autonomy, we are seen to become stupid, so we are "managed" as if we are stupid, and thus the vicious cycle begins.

What We Need Is To Be Called Into Action

We are at our best following a pied piper of our choosing. That's what the best leaders are

We need a cause, a purpose, bigger than ourselves – a possibility that excites us

We need the freedom to "not know", to run experiments, to try out new ideas, do new things

We need it to be safe to fail, to mess up, fess up, clean up, learn and move on

We need our work to mean something. We need feedback, to know we are making a difference.

People Are Doing Their Very Best

People Are Doing Their Very Best

Yes, have the point of view that people at work are doing their very best. 

If they are not meeting expectations then in all likelihood the cause may be one of these:

1. They are working two jobs: the one they are being paid for and the exhausting unpaid one of lying to cover up they don't know certain things
2. They are hiding to avoid making mistakes 
3. They are faking engagement and alignment because it is not safe to speak what is true for them.

Ask, How Can I Help You? 

What Support Do You Need?

And, really mean it. Keep looking for ways to help people speak up and share their background conversations make it safe for them to say what is going on with them.

Catch them failing and acknowledge the effort. And then do an after action review with them so they can learn from the experience.

People really are doing their very best...and with your help, they will learn, and grow, and do even better.