Nothing stays stable for very long.??It’s one of the key reasons why taking a long-term view is so important to build resilience in business life: avoid undue elation in prosperity and undue depression in adversity.??
Taking a step back to really understand the nature of the crisis a business is heading towards is the best preparation for dealing with it.??Recognising when the current pattern of work needs to change and, more often than not, be reallocated and passed down a chain of command is a leadership skill.
Here are five tips to help do that:
- Restructure roles and responsibilities: Ambiguity hinders autonomy.??Every few years it is necessary to revisit and clearly define job roles, expectations, and decision-making authority for each role.??The rationale for doing so is to enhance performance not cost cutting per se.??Dramatic cost cutting only happens if leadership act too late and need to hit a short-term target.??The clear definition of roles, especially if they have become fuzzy, will empower individuals to take ownership and make independent decisions within their areas of responsibility.
- Encourage delegation: Encourage a culture of delegation where managers are willing to delegate authority and empower their team members.??Encourage managers to trust their employees' capabilities and distribute decision-making responsibilities accordingly.??Train managers to delegate more effectively.??Make “elevate and delegate” a management mantra adopted by all.
- Invest in training and development: Ensure that employees have the necessary skills and competency to exercise autonomy effectively.??Provide training programs, workshops, and mentorship opportunities to enhance their capabilities and decision-making skills.??Create a work environment that encourages autonomy.??Encourage open communication, collaboration, and learning.??Celebrate and recognize employees who take initiative and demonstrate success in their work with minimal direct supervision.??Hard as it may seem for you to believe, not all staff will embrace learning and development opportunities, but back those who do and leave the others behind and make it clear who and why in the organisation is favoured.?
- Set clear boundaries: Autonomy doesn't mean complete independence without any boundaries – that would be anarchy.??Establish clear guidelines and limits to ensure alignment with business goals, values, and ethical standards.??This provides a framework and guidelines within which staff can exercise their judgement.
- Empower decision-making: Give employees the tools, resources, and information necessary to make informed decisions.??This might involve providing access to relevant data, involving employees in decision-making processes, and ensuring they have the authority to act on their decisions.??Trust is the bedrock of sharing information for the purpose of enhancing overall performance.
Every business’s journey is unique, and a “crisis of autonomy” will present itself in different forms.??Adapt the above tips to you own specific needs and challenges as you lead your business but do not ignore the simple truth that any organisation, system, procedure, or individual left undisturbed for a few years will become inefficient and underdeliver.
Les is a coach, consultant, and facilitator who works with growth-oriented MDs and CEOs of businesses in “scale-up”.?He is also a director of 20-20 Management which is a performance improvement company that specialises in leadership development and growth.?
Les has a proven track record of helping clients deliver successful results by addressing vision and strategy, organisation structure, culture, and performance, and managing change to create more accountable, affordable, and agile businesses.
