Micromachines or Transformers, what would you rather have?

Are you a micromanager? Even if you don’t take all the credit could you still be one? Could your business run smoothly without you, or is it so dependent on you it would fall to shambles?

I have asked myself these questions in the last day as problems were getting flung at me left and right and was wondering what the heck has happened, what have I created. What is a manager supposed to do, and is a manager different than a leader?

I am trying to figure out if you can be a great manager and leader at the same time and that is one of the struggles I am dealing with right now.

What do you need to do as a leader to empower your employees and not micromanage?

1. Ask the right questions. Don’t ask yes or no questions ask for thought out answers.

2. Don’t always give them the answer. I know you might no what the correct answer should be but let them make the decision and make it their own.

3. Encourage. Be their cheerleader let them know what they are doing right.

4. Put them in positions to use their strengths. Each person has specific strengths. Find them and then make sure that they are using them.

These are the focuses a manager should have. You should not be the person who solves all the problems. You should be the person people come to when they have problems and you help them think of possible solutions.

Remember the days of playing with toys as a kid. What was more exciting to play with micromachines or transformers? Don’t treat your employees like micromachines. You need to bring out a lot more capabilities that that. You need to treat your employees as transformers who can solve problems and think of new solutions when prodded with the urgency and the right set of questions.

It is not about you as a manager. The best leaders are selfless and don’t care who gets the credit.

Waltonize your mind

Yesterday I went to many Garden Centers around the twin cities area looking at things to do and things not to do. In the past I have come back from these places and said we do this way better, we do that way better, they are overpriced. I would look at all of their warts and not focus on some of the things that they did good. A while back I read a story about the WalMart founder Sam Walton.
Walton went into a fellow discounter with another person. They went around looked at the whole store which was in disarray. When they got through the person with Walton said "can you believe how dirty and awful the whole store was." Walton couldn't stop talking about the pantyhose rack and how neatly it was setup. He got the information of the pantyhose rack, which was not real visible, and called the company and got that set up in Walmarts.
I go back to this story everytime I look at another place. Before I would go to a store and when I left I would beat my chest and say we are way better. Now I go in with a different set of eyes saying what one or two things can I use from this store to make mine better.
I have found myself doing that with people more and more to. Instead of looking at everybodies flaws I try to look at what they are gifted at or a quality they possess and compare it to how I am. When talking with people around me I try to make sure that their best gifts are magnified and they are working where they are most gifted.
Marcus Buckingham changed my thinking in his book "Now Break all the Rules." Saying it is hard enough to bring peoples strengths out so focus on doing that. There weaknesses will always be a weakness.
So when looking hard at things around you look hard for things that are positive. It may be hard in some places, but if you really want to maximize who you are and your company you owe it to yourself.