One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was to trust the professional you hire to do the job you hired them for. As a result of this advice, it’s been my experience that when talented people are allowed the freedom to do what they do best – often what they are passionate about – the results are far better than I could have ever accomplished by directing their every step.
This is not a management approach relying on blind trust. It’s more about respecting individual expertise and trusting that expertise to develop solutions. Applying this attitude begins when you establish clearly defined goals and expectations. Then, you step out of the way knowing the person you have assigned to the task has the skills and experience to accomplish what needs to be done.
For example, imagine you have just hired a person you know to be an outstanding building maintenance manager. This person comes highly recommended, and has a complete understanding of the systems you have in place. Not only that, your manager has a history of researching issues and seeking out continuing education to stay abreast of changes in best practices.
You communicate specific expectations about the comfort and safety of your patients and staff; elements such as the environmental temperature and noise, the proper functioning of your plumbing, ensuring that when a piece of equipment is needed it will function and the systems are operated and maintained within a set budget. Then you let go of the day-to-day management of how these expectations are met.
Be a resource for direction and guidance without getting in the way allowing this person to do his/her job. If expectations are not being met then intervention occurs. But if this person was the truly the right person for the job, I bet that your systems run smooth resulting in an optimal environment resulting in more time for you to focus on growing and strengthening your business. This is, by the way, more than likely what you are paid to do!
Even though this applies primarily to staff and vendors who are experienced and have proven themselves trustworthy, the approach still has validity with junior staff. In these instances, you promote their personal growth by allowing freedom where their strengths lie and training to get them to where you need them to be. In the end you develop a staff whose performance you can rely on, and an environment of trust that can lead continued growth of your business.
Experienced at leadership development and customer service, SRJ Marketing Communications has the resources to coach your leadership team and improve your staff productivity. Call 214-528-5775 to discuss how building a trust in your staff can lead to better interactions between you and the customers you serve.
