It just seems like I'm only there in case something does happen. Not like I'm really needed on a day to day basis. I'm kind of like having a large mobile coffee-drinking fire extinguisher.
Maybe it's my management style. Alot of the time when someone comes to me with a question I ask "Well, what do you think you should do about this?" And nine times out of ten (because I generally have a really good crew) we end up doing what they suggested.
So I might be managing myself out of a position here if I'm not careful.
Most of the time the house functions as if I'm not even here. My crew in both houses (my regulars, anyway) are very good and quite professional and tend to handle problems that arise without needing to consult me at all. But I have gotten them used to the ideas of at least telling me what they did afterwards. That way if someone outside our house has a question I don't end up with egg all over my face.
I operate under the old saying "It's easier to ask forgiveness than for permission."
Do what needs to be done to the best of your ability and judgement. Things here happen quickly and you need to react quickly. If you have to call and wait for an answer it might be too late.
Alot of people who work for the department don't want to make any sort of decisions at all. That keeps them from ever taking the blame if things go bad. Then they get to point a finger and shout "He told me to do it!" Those kind of people are why things tend to get out of hand. They get paralyzed by an inability or an unwillingness to do anything without permission in order to keep from making a mistake.
My crew is better than that. They take care of business whether I am there on site or not. I don't have to hover over their shoulders or hold their hands.
But it sure does make for some long boring nights, though.
Your management style is the best kind as far as I'm concerned. It gives your staff autonomy and promotes competence rather than incompetence and laziness. It also leads to a sense of teamwork rather than resentment. Too bad there are so many supervisors who don't get it. (Just have a book handy for those boring nights!)
ReplyDeleteLolamouse- Thanks for the vote of confidence. Some nights I wish i could bring in a book! Yawn city!
DeleteUh oh! I can't help but notice that you let an Alot loose in your post. Don't you know how dangerous they are?
ReplyDeletehttp://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html
I wonder what an Alot of the Time would look like. A beast crossed with a watch? A big lumbering zeitgeist? ;D
Oh my Goodness, there's another one! And it's an Alot of people! That's just grissly.
DeleteAnyway, it's good that you have a crew that takes responsibility for themselves. That always makes things easier for the boss. It's the ones that try to goof off and try to get away with things the minute they're out of sight that you've got to watch out for.
Bryan- If I knew what half of those words meant, I'm sure I'd have something to say about it. Maybe alot! (grin)
ReplyDeleteI too had that style of management when I ran my dock. The good people appreciated doing their jobs without me riding their asses and the bad people, well, are still employed.
ReplyDelete