It's time to make the switch. It's time to stop pretending that you as the manager know better than anyone else what needs to be done and when. And it's time to stop creating a workforce that waits for your signal on what to do next.
The key to being profitable in today's climate is to invest your time developing the talent of your team. First, do an exhaustive inventory of each team member's strengths and opportunities for improvement.
Just like the NFL, combine before the draft - know everything about your team's talent.
Second, deploy each person according to their individual strengths. Show them how to succeed at their job from what they do well and not just in the way you want it done.
Third, don't expect them to completely overcome weaknesses. Instead look for and reward incremental improvement and encourage partnering with other teammates to make improvements together.
Bonus - when recruiting new associates do so from their talent and not their "likability." So, which will build a high performance team - managing the tasks or managing the talent?
Be encouraged,
Barry
