New Insight Article: Want to Motivate Employees? Don’t Treat Them Like Children!

Posted on September 8, 2014 · Posted in Analysis and Opinion

A great deal has been written about how to motivate your workforce, and there are many valid ways to go about it. One method, however, is so simple and effective that it’s hard to understand why many companies miss out on applying it.

Children

The secret is simple: accord your employees – all of them, even the newest young hires – your unquestioning trust. In other words, show them that you trust their judgment, and that they have your permission to apply it as they see fit. No micro-management, no debilitating approval loops, no frustrating insistence on excessive control. You hire smart individuals – don’t treat them like children!

This concept has always been dear to my heart, and you can bet I’ve applied it as best I could to my own subordinates – and fought to make my employers apply it to all of theirs, with varying degrees of success. I share my observations  in detail in my new insight article.

Enjoy!