Before you get to autonomy
"The three things that motivate creative people - autonomy, mastery, purpose." Daniel H. Pink
Autonomy is a wonderful thing - a requirement I submit, for the fulfillment of people. Autonomy is part of my "List of Six" desires of people in the workplace, described in my first book, "It's Personal, Not Personnel." Indeed there are some who seek constant guidance and don't mind frequent oversight, but most want space, freedom, and even time to do their jobs. They do not want to be micromanaged. Merriam Webster defines autonomy as the quality or state of being self-governing or self-directing freedom and especially moral independence. I aim for almost total autonomy but I do not rush to it.
I place a lot of trust in people. On some occasions this backfires but mostly the autonomy I give creates engaged employees. It is my duty as a leader to check things and I make this clear with my people, but I mostly leave them alone and let them apply their creativity and talents they way they see fit. There are some building blocks to this approach though. It's not autonomy on day one.
The first is vision. I spend time describing the vision of our organization for my people. In my small business, our vision of service to our people, customers, and community is something I talk about often. I describe a future state with us as a team living out this vision. I talk about what makes us exceptional - establishing relationships, delivering excellence, being empathetic and responsive to our customers. Under the autonomy I give my people, this vision is their north star, guiding them in everything they do. If their actions are not in keeping with our vision, something must not be right.
The second is good guidance. As I've often shared, I give intent - Purpose, Key Tasks, End State. Visit my website for a short paper on intent-based instructions. I don't tell people exactly what to do and I don't stand watch over them as they do things unless it is necessary in the case a new employee for instance. End State being the key element, I'll spend time creating and communicating it. If, through their own methods and actions, my people achieve End State, all is ok.
Third is a foundation of trust. Trust is essential and if it is broken I address it. I come from a place where lives are at stake. A break in trust can and often does lead to the termination of an employee. The same approach should apply to a private business. A break in trust can lead to ruin. I build trust by forming and fostering a relationship with the people I lead. I get to know them on a deeper level. I connect with and embrace their families as part of our greater team. I challenge them to be better. I tell them straight up, I'm going to place a lot of trust in them. Through this leadership approach, investing in my people, they earn and accept their autonomy and do their work in hopes of not letting myself or the team down.
This approach does not have to be a stair-step approach; establish and share vision, give good guidance, and build trust, then give autonomy. It can and should be phased. Start with these building blocks but offer autonomy as you form and strengthen the foundation of leadership with your team. Do your work up front and make your people earn their autonomy. Once they have, get out of their way.
Make it Personal!
Rob
Rob Campbell