From micromanagement to (self-)leadership
When an overburdened leader and his team shift their perceptions of responsibility and accountability.
CHALLENGE
An experienced manager at a leading semi-conductor manufacturer and his team had gone through a series of difficult reorganizations and team spirit was low.
He had gradually taken on more project issues himself, causing the team’s abilities to fall. His own response times lengthened and his availability to the team diminished.
Overall team performance suffered, whilst he himself had no time for strategic issues anymore.
APPROACH
We invited the caring, but overburdened manager to a greytogreen workshop, just for himself. He came to understand his own part in the relationship with his team. He chose to let go of some of his own behavior patterns, discuss his experience with the team and invite them into a greytogreen workshop.
The team took the opportunity to start a meaningful and authentic dialog amongst each other in order to embark on a new way of working.
A 2 ½ day workshop for manager and team followed by a one-day follow-up session for the team.
- 2 days CHOICES & RESULTS and PURE MOTIVATION.
- Half-a-day customized team module with a number of specifically designed scenarios (how to act more as one team, create solid relationships with each other, how to give and assume responsibility in a healthy and productive way).
- A one-day follow-up session for the team – without their manager.
RESULT
Based on the team’s newly gained understanding of how they could take things into their own hands, relationships changed, the team climate improved and productivity went up considerably. The manager could refocus on strategic issues and his relationship his management and peers improved.
TAKE-AWAY
Micromanagement lowers performance of manager and team.
Once team patterns are established, a manager cannot unilaterally create the necessary change.
By experiencing the greytogreen approach together with his team and ensuring a follow-up with reinforcing exercises, he was able to stop assuming too much responsibility and his team reclaimed their own responsibility and the freedom to act.
