One of the traits of an effective leader is problem-solving.
Unchecked, a leader is constantly looking for problems to solve.
Although the intention to improve things is positive, the results can be negative:
- Perceptions of micro-management
- “We only see the boss when something goes wrong”
- No attention being paid to success and achievement, resulting in
- Claims of lack of appreciation and acknowledgement.
These cause employee disengagement, lost efficiency, lost productivity and lost staff.
I advocate my clients to have a balanced mindset, where they look first for what is working well and encourage that to grow; then look for what is not working well and coach for that to improve.
Another way of putting it is to have a blend of the appreciative inquiry as well as the pathological inquiry.
That way the leader is seen to be balanced, fair, firm and supportive.
The other benefit is that focussing on what works well and helping it to grow, gives you better forward movement than the incremental improvements caused by focussing on weak spots.
What do you think?