On-Line

Case of the Month: Employee Initiative

This case comes from the coaching & leadership training + some employee interviews I have been conducting over the last weeks. Depending on the side you are on, you'll hear two typical complaints in companies:

1. The manager: "My people don't see the work, they don't take initiative"

2. What's the difference between "having idea's" and "taking initiative"?

Not much from a structural point of view. The biggest differences are the contents (what topic is the idea on / what topic did you expect initiative on) and the point of view (who expects what result)

The pattern is often that the boss doesn't like the content of the employee's initiative(s) and "kills" it. The meta-message he sends is: "I don't like your initiative, keep your idea's for you". And he gets what he "asks for": no more initiative… But this backfires: as an effect, people will also stop from giving the ideas the manager asks for.

Solution 1: as a manager:

Find a way to acknowledge initiatives & to ask for ideas. I'd suggest the DESC-concept for this communication:

• D - describe: what are the facts?

• E - explain: what is your opinion / what do you feel?

• S - suggest: ask a question, leading to a common point of view

• C - close: round up the communication with a mutual agreement

If you like the idea or not:

• Describe = repeat idea

• Explain = tell what YOU like and/or don't like - appreciate the person for sharing the idea

• Suggest = discuss your point of view & ask the other persons point of view. Remember that a real discussion will lead to a "smarter" solution. (If you would just compromise, the compromise might end up being worse than the idea…)

• Close = what will be the next actions in this area (how will you implement your common point of view)

If you want initiative

• Describe = explain current situation (facts!!)

• Explain = what is you problem with I (why do you want initiative?)

• Suggest = ask person for his ideas

• Conclude = see where this leads, plan the next step.

Solution 2: as an employee:

Also use DESC-concept:

• Describe = facts you have noticed, bringing you to idea

• Explain = what you think about the facts,

• Suggest = your suggestion + ask feedback from manager (stay open for the answer you get, find ways to incorporate both point of views)