Early steps to goal achievement

In the next diagram, titled Enabling Empowerment: Early Steps to Goal Achievement, we witness the early progress of the employee in attempting to achieve his goals. Although he’s still in bounds, he’s zig-zagging all over the place. He’s simply not doing things the way the manager would do them. And this is what drives many managers crazy. Why is he doing all that zig-zagging?

It is helpful, however, to remind yourself that the path to the goal is straight only because you defined it that way. You concluded that your way was the correct way. But is it the only correct way?

You can begin to free yourself of the management-crisis dilemma when you appreciate two basic facts. First, you can become a highly successful manager only when you can empower others to carry out your vision. Second, the means that others use to reach the goals may be different from yours, while still being effective.

Thus, you can enable others to reach the goals by allowing them to choose their own means of getting there. So, do you get what you want? Yes, if what you want is attaining the goals. No, if what you want is strict conformity to your means of getting there.