Staying Out Of The Way
Posted by Mitch Mitchell on Aug 15, 2011
My wife does a lot of projects around the home. I don't get to help her with almost any of them. Unfortunately, I'm not that handy with tools, and never have been. Give me a screwdriver and I'm a monster; give me anything else and there's the possibility of disaster coming.
Right now my wife is working on a major project concerning the living room. She's reupholstering the furniture and painting walls and some other things. She's doing some other stuff I can't think of as well.
There have been a few people that have asked what my contribution is to the project. We have both given the same answer; I've stayed out of the way. In both or our minds, it's the best way to make sure that nothing bad will go wrong. I could talk about the paint disaster from 11 years ago, but I won't. I could talk about some other things that have happened or nearly happened but I won't. Suffice it to say it's not a skill I've ever shown any proclivity for; trust me, it's better this way.
It's the kind of thing that more managers need to think about when they're interacting with their employees. I have talked to many managers who think they need to always be on their employees for their work performance, even when the employees are doing well. There are some managers who think they need to keep telling their employees what to do, even when they can't do what the employees are doing.
Health care is a great example of that. There are many managers and directors in health care who either never knew how to do many of the duties the people report to them can do or haven't done it in so long that they don't know the every day processes as well anymore.
Whether they should know those processes or don't need to isn't as important as what they need to learn. What they need to learn is to stay out of the way and let their employees do their work. They need to supply whatever an employee needs to get the job done to the best of their ability, and they need to know how and what to monitor when it comes to performance so they can evaluate their employees to know who's doing well and who isn't.
I learned that lesson quickly in this house. I put together everything that takes only a screwdriver because I'm good at reading directions. Everything else... well, when you've broken drill bits and broken windows with hammers, even when you weren't near them... it's best just left alone. 🙂
Can’t be good at everything and if you are probably you are good in absolutely nothing. Handyman work, I can do it, but I have told my girlfriend to do not bother me about any housework like cleaning or cooking, actually this apply for shopping to some extends. Similar to you, I just guide, because she can not, even have problems with simple calculations. Haha, the previous one was trying to be a leader and guide, however she also could not do it, but trying so hard.
Actually Carl, I’m not bad at cleaning, but my wife says I make a bigger mess when I clean the kitchen than anything else. So I splash a little water around; gotta get things done! lol
I have military background and I am also good in cleaning, but my wife understand how hard I am working sometimes more than 14 hours a day so she not bother me. Wow, I called her my wife, may be I have to marry for her soon. Now seriously, I am fairly young, but as I work with computers nearly 13 years, I have lower back pain problem which comes and goes, I’ve been checked by many doctors in many countries, only money come out of my pocket and there is no diagnoses. I have difficulties doing housework especially if I try to reach some places.
I kind of know what you mean Carl. I will clean the kitchen, but at a certain point my back starts hurting from all the bending over. I fight through it, but it can take its toll sometimes.
Managers who stay out of the way makes a lot of excellent job especially when he(manager) knows the capabilities of his employees are exceptional but it would be a disaster if he knows nothing.
Vicki, even if managers know nothing except how to work with people, they can be very effective. There are lots of CEOs that know nothing about a particular industry but know about business in general that do pretty well. Then again, there are some that fail miserably also.