One of the recurrent things being said about the Millennial employees (by now the great majority of the workforce) is that they want to be self-directed. For many managers, that has somehow translated into ‘want to do everything on their own and should be left to do so’.
It doesn’t help that some of the scholars of the field, such as J. Keith Murnighan, professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University seem to be backing up this point:
“People on your team will reveal skills you never knew they had, and will accomplish things that go far beyond your estimate of their capabilities. They might not do things the way you would do them, but they will get results you never expected – positive results – because everyone has hidden talents, and most leaders never discover them. … Your role as a manager is to be a facilitator and orchestrator. Help your staff to get their work done, rather than interfere with their work. Orchestrate the work of team members, so that things go smoothly, with a hands-off approach and a collaborative mood.”
Tags: Managers