Front Range Leadership
Developing Leadership Skills
by Douglas Brent Smith
I found something I'd never seen before in a job ad today. It's something to think about. Listed as a job requirement, it said that the job candidate must have:
"The ability and personality type
to work in a micro - managed environment until you have built up a
trust level with the people you support."
What kind of work environment does that imply?
It certainly gets points for honesty. Any new hire will know exactly what to expect: specific instructions, close direction, careful follow-up, and tight requirements. My first impulse was that was too much. It sounded much too authoritative. Stifling, even for an independent thinker and creative team member. Who on earth would want to work under those conditions?
But wait -- while a seasoned professional might not need that level of micro-management, and while transformational, participative leaders allow lots of autonomy and choice, let's consider the needs of a new employee.
Someone new to an organization may not be ready for unsupervised decision making because they're too busy adjusting to the culture, learning the job, creating new relationships, practicing new skills, and doing important tasks. Maybe a strong level of careful attention to detail and supervision from their boss is exactly what they need.
What do you think?
The Big Questions
Think back at a time when you started a new job. What level of supervision were you hoping for? What level of management did you need?
What kind of environment do you want to create as a leader?
What kinds of things might a high performance and centered leader do to create an environment where people find exactly the level of supervision that they need?
What will you do today to create or sustain that environment of perfectly scaled supervision?
Articles on Leadership | Supervising for Success
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