Comments on: The Ultimate YES: Setting Boundaries http://www.boldinteractive.com/2007/08/16/the-ultimate-yes-setting-boundaries/ Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:16:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 By: Michelle Malay Carter http://www.boldinteractive.com/2007/08/16/the-ultimate-yes-setting-boundaries/#comment-59 Michelle Malay Carter Fri, 17 Aug 2007 13:28:16 +0000 http://www.boldinteractive.com/2007/08/16/the-ultimate-yes-setting-boundaries/#comment-59 Yes, and you are dancing into the managerial leadership realm here. When a company has appropriately defined managerial authorities, it will include proper task assignment. Proper task assignment is all about setting appropriate boundaries to LIBERATE employees to be creative and to liberate them from ambiguity and paranoia. With proper task assignment, the manager defines the WHAT and the boundaries, and then the employee is free to use his/her creativity to decide the HOW. When a manager gets into the realm of the HOW, this is what we call micromanagement. It steals the "natural high" we all get from the work, the creative part, which results in attitudes, demotivation, disengagement. Conversely, when a manager sets no boundaries or sets them too wide, one of two things can happen. Some employees freeze. Others see it as a free for all. Proper task assignment has a minimum of six elements. Thank you Elliott Jaques. The what, the WHY (context), QUALITY (how will a manager judge if you did a good job), QUANTITY(if applicable), RESOURCES (what can I use to complete the task, e.g. money, other employee expertise, training, books, equipment), TIME (when is it due). Two more elements PeopleFit has added are REPORTING (how do I want you to report your progress), INTEGRATION (who else's work does this overlap, who else do I need to check with along the way). When we teach managers this simple formula known as www.qqrri, they are amazed at the improvements they get in efficiency and effectiveness from employees. Isn't that amazing - when managers are clear about what they want, employees respond enthusiastically! Ironically enough, this basic building block of managerial knowledge is not taught in business school or most leadership training. Yes, and you are dancing into the managerial leadership realm here. When a company has appropriately defined managerial authorities, it will include proper task assignment. Proper task assignment is all about setting appropriate boundaries to LIBERATE employees to be creative and to liberate them from ambiguity and paranoia. With proper task assignment, the manager defines the WHAT and the boundaries, and then the employee is free to use his/her creativity to decide the HOW.

When a manager gets into the realm of the HOW, this is what we call micromanagement. It steals the “natural high” we all get from the work, the creative part, which results in attitudes, demotivation, disengagement.

Conversely, when a manager sets no boundaries or sets them too wide, one of two things can happen. Some employees freeze. Others see it as a free for all.

Proper task assignment has a minimum of six elements. Thank you Elliott Jaques. The what, the WHY (context), QUALITY (how will a manager judge if you did a good job), QUANTITY(if applicable), RESOURCES (what can I use to complete the task, e.g. money, other employee expertise, training, books, equipment), TIME (when is it due). Two more elements PeopleFit has added are REPORTING (how do I want you to report your progress), INTEGRATION (who else’s work does this overlap, who else do I need to check with along the way).

When we teach managers this simple formula known as www.qqrri, they are amazed at the improvements they get in efficiency and effectiveness from employees. Isn’t that amazing - when managers are clear about what they want, employees respond enthusiastically!

Ironically enough, this basic building block of managerial knowledge is not taught in business school or most leadership training.

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