Some people say that marriage is a 50/50 proposition.
When it comes to the DVR in my house, it’s more like 80/20. And that 80 percent is dominated by the Food Network — not the instructional cooking shows, but programs that showcase the talents of top chefs and focus on the business aspects of running a restaurant.
My current fascination is Restaurant Impossible, a show in which Chef Robert Irvine attempts to rescue failing restaurants in just two days. After performing a quick assessment, he goes to work on cutting out the fat (literally, in some cases) and helping the owners get back to what made them successful in the first place, whether that means retraining the staff, revamping the menu, or making leadership changes.
During this 48-hour whirlwind, the restaurant also gets a facelift — but this isn’t Irvine’s wheelhouse, and he knows it. His team of designers is given complete autonomy to create a new look. When it works, they get the credit. And when it fails (which it rarely does), they shoulder the blame. It’s their baby.
In a recent episode, one of the designers told Irvine she wasn’t going to be able to carry out one of the original renovation plans. His response was: “Figure it out.”
That’s all he said. And yet, those three little words were all he needed to say.
Figure it out.
It’s a concept that is so simple, and yet so underused in the workplace culture, where the instinct is to provide specific instructions of what needs to be done and demand constant updates. Some call it micromanaging; I call it breathing down your employee’s neck. Call it whatever you want. The fact is, it doesn’t work.
What does work? Providing high-level direction, and getting out the way, according to Jordan Cohen of Harvard Business Review. “Describe the outcome you are trying to achieve, be clear on the requirements, and preserve the worker’s autonomy,” he wrote. This tactic “often results in a more committed worker, higher quality work, and a proud employee.”
I think he’s on to something. In fact, there’s science behind the idea that employees aren’t as effective when tasks are dictated. Amy Arnsten, PhD, a neuroscience professor at Yale University, has found that when people lose their sense of control, the brain’s emotional response center can cause a decrease in cognitive functioning. The perception of not being in control can lead to a drop in productivity, she noted in an interview.
On the other hand, according to Cohen, “If a manager describes the long-term outcome he wants, rather than dictating specific actions, the employee can decide how to arrive there and preserve his perceived sense of control, cognitive function, and ultimately improve his productivity.”
As organizations become more technologically advanced, it’s paramount that staff members are empowered to generate new ideas and develop innovative strategies for overcoming challenges. People need to be able to think out of the box. But in order to enable that, managers have to let their employees think for themselves.
Beth Comstock, CMO of GE, said in a recent blog post that she expects her people to “come up with solutions to problems that weren’t even on the radar when they were hired.”
Comstock is a big proponent of the ‘Figure It Out’ concept, noting that she expects her employees to “thrive in uncertainty, take initiative, and respond resiliently when their ideas fall short. I don’t think that’s too tall an order.”
And more importantly, she gives them the rope to do just that.
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