The old business mindset is that employees report up to a boss, and I think that mindset is old and needs to die a quick death.
In fact, the way that companies should re-think management is that all employees are self-empowered, and like their own business owner. I believe that everyone is their own CEO of one, they are responsible for their own strategy, knowledge, education, marketing, and building their own information strategies. You can read my blog post on you’re a company of one.
In fact, the way I manage a team of over half a dozen researchers is with this empowerment in mind (we’re hiring btw). I tell them that I’m not their boss, but instead, I’m their client or customer. Why? I want them to be self-empowered, take accountability for their future and make informed decisions knowing that I believe in their expertise and trust them.
Why wouldn’t management have this mindset? If you’re willing to invest your time and money on hiring the best, you should treat them as the experts they are. Of course this doesn’t come without proper definition of defining the success criteria, putting ongoing training in place and setting up a performance tracking program. I’m no expert on these topics, and am learning ever day.
So if you work in a small company or big one, remember that who you report to isn’t your boss, but instead your client. Approach your career as a company of one, and you’re the CEO. Remember, your boss is really your client –you are empowered in your career, even if you work in a huge corporation.
Special thanks to Loic who kicked me over dinner to blog this –I was bashful to share this as a budding executive, I know I’ve a lot to learn, and I look forward to the comments below to drive new thoughts.
A couple of years ago I came across a ‘seed’ idea.  When responding to my daughter’s criticism of one of her teachers I occasioned the comment that it was my daughter’s responsibility to ‘manager’ her teacher to lead both parties to a desired outcome.  While outside of the normal Teacher-Student paradigm it afforded my daughter an insight to handling an otherwise difficult circumstance.  My daughter was empowered to accept responsibility for the situation that previously afforded her no course of action.
In the most traditional structures there is a top-down flow of authority and a bottom-up flow of responsibility. Â Learning to ‘manage’ her teacher (or me ‘managing’ my boss) does not change the politic but does acknowledge the two-way conversation that is required for effective teamwork. Â When a subordinate learns to ‘lead’ his/her boss then each garners both responsibility and respect.
I like the idea of accountability, it seems lost in the workplace whether that be for boss/associate or a client relationship. I will look forward to reading more………..
Nice aproach to empowerment, I never heard such a great and simple way to describe and implement sucha an abstract concept. Congratulations for your blog
Absolutely true. This mindset shift empowers employees, create a feeling of trust and ultimately motivates people to grow and become stronger. At the same time, a good balance of performance tracking and deliverables need to be put in place.
In similar terms, you can also have the expression – ‘your customer is your product’. A useful call for a different perspective on brand creation and management, and especially for shift of focus looking outside-in. In either case and ultimately, it’s neither about your boss, nor about your product.
I agree that employees should be allowed more freedom (with accountability).
What do you think of them being open about their career goals and aspirations (even if it isn’t in at their current job or even company)? I see this being an outdated sense of security for a lot of companies. Corporate jobs aren’t secure anymore, so why should employees keep up a charade on their end by pretending they’ll be at their jobs for 10+ years when they know they’ll be gone in 2.
I agree that employees should be allowed more freedom (with accountability).
What do you think of them being open about their career goals and aspirations (even if it isn’t in at their current job or even company)? I see this being an outdated sense of security for a lot of companies. Corporate jobs aren’t secure anymore, so why should employees keep up a charade on their end by pretending they’ll be at their jobs for 10+ years when they know they’ll be gone in 2.
I think people are being a bit harsh and taking the depth of the words too literally. I have a team of sales reps and encourage them, and every new-hire, to view their job as their own personal franchise. Because it is a franchise “ they must operate under my guidelines and with my approval like any other business. However, viewing me as a client, they must ask themselves at the end of every month¦Would my client hire me back based on my results? It is a powerful way to think and it isn™t intended to replace the existing hierarchy but supplement it with some free thinking, which enables people to grow and have a say in things. I could certainly tell my employees what to do every step of the way, but that wouldn™t be fun for them or me. I have three kids at home who need that type of attention. At work; I need CEO™s who think out of the box and challenge me to think differently. Try it; you just might have a different perspective at the end. You™ll also create a more powerful culture along the way. You™ll also find this is the fine line between a leader and a manager.
I have a mixed feeling about the above statement. While the idea of self-empowering the employees is good, the idea of making the boss a client is bad. It’s paradoxical for me, because, if I’m told to run the company as a CEO, then I’ll run it not FOR my boss but the way it aught to be run. I’m not saying that I do whatever I want and the way I want it. Neither am I doing things to keep my boss happy. All I’m saying is that I’d do it the way I feel it could be done. I have a boss to guide me, and help me wherever I am stuck, but beyond that, I would love to take the onus of ensuring that everything falls in place the way it should and take the company to greater heights.
Making my boss my client gives me the feeling that I am working FOR HIM, or BECAUSE OF HIM… That’s the last thing I’d want my juniors to think of me.
I’d much rather be their guide, and take responsibility to lead them to the right path, not just for the company they are in right now, but for the future…
We are talking about relationships. One that employees have with the organization they are working in and the other, the relationship with their bosses. The problem occurs when bosses treat their juniors like they themselves are clients and all their instructions be followed to the “t” and no questions asked. They get dominating and the this disrupts everything.
Maybe, you could sequel this write-up with another on how the boss should see his employees!!!