Something I often talk about in Management Development training is autonomy for your employees. What is autonomy, and what does it mean to you as a business leader? According to the Google definition it is, “the right or condition of self government.” Digging deeper it also defines autonomy as, “freedom from external control or influence; independence.”
As a business leader, it is critical to give your team freedom – Freedom to succeed but also the freedom to fail. In fact, taking this to the next level, they should have permission to fail. Through the failures and mistakes come growth and learning that can’t be taught in a manual or handbook. The opportunity to coach an employee after they make a mistake, or a goal has not been reached, is one that should not be taken for granted. Typically the employee will know there has been a mistake (if you have clearly defined expectations for their success), or a goal has not been met. In fact, if transparency is encouraged in your organization, the employee may have even brought it to your attention – which is a sign of a healthy company culture.
There was once an anonymous basketball coach that talked about elite players that were ruined because a coach would take them out of the game every-time a mistake was made. It was said that the other team didn’t have to play defense because that coach was playing defense for them. When players are constantly worried they will be pulled out of the game when a mistake is made, they will avoid shooting or making plays. The same happens with employees – if they come to work trying to stay under the ‘management radar,’ are they really being productive? The answer is no, they are doing just enough to get through the day.
This is why it is important to promote autonomy in your organization. If you hired the right person, you should trust them to do the job. People will make mistakes, and deadlines will not be met, however that is part of being human. The method in which you correct the matter, or coach them, will help them learn from mistakes and your organization will be better for of it.
