Comments on: Good management means great empowerment.

By: Dave Berkus

Dave Berkus — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:52:29 +0000

Russ,
“Noses in, fingers out!” relates to board members and managers not directly supervising employees. Reaching around a manager does real damage to that manager’s ability to control. The proper way to handle such a problem as you describe is to call in the direct manager first, then if necessary both the employee and manager. Never direct the employee without his manager or manager’s explicit permission unless it is an emergency in progress. Steve Jobs would have done the opposite; but that doesn’t make it right. He was known as a tyrant, but got away with it. Not a role model to follow in this instance.

By: Russ Dollinger

Russ Dollinger — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:37:04 +0000

What happens if you are talking to somebody relatively junior that is doing the work and you discover a problem? Do you fix it right away and undermine their manager, set up a conference with both the manager and worker to fix the problem, or call the manager into a private meeting?

And what would Steve Jobs have done?

By: Josh

Josh — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 18:53:20 +0000

Great but of to empower subordinates effectively, you must also communicate this policy effectively with those lateral to you and get their buy in. This is because subordinates may have to communicate across the organization and get other approvals in order to make a decision. Unless your lateral peers know your subordinate has this executive authority, the peers are likely be resistant to providing approval or a green light on any item brought to them by your subordinate. So this empowerment strategy has to be recognized company wide to be effective. Josh