Idea 21 - The way you help people parallel park is a good test of how good a leader you are …

Yes, this week I’m going to talk about parallel parking and how natural leaders are better at helping people park than micro-managers. Stay with me on this.

We’ve all been there: we’re parking in the street, we spot a space that’s probably a bit small, and we try to squeeze into it without bumping the Tesla behind. A friendly passerby sees we might struggle, so they stand behind our car and “help” us out.

There are two common methods used. There’s the beckoning hand wave followed by the abrupt stop gesture just before you hit the other car, and then the two hands apart movement where the helper gradually moves their hands closer to show you the distance between your bumper and the car behind.

This is not the sign of a good leader …

One method is terrifying to see as a driver, and the other fills you with calm.

One method gives the driver control of what they’re doing and the other doesn’t.

Which do you use?

Professionals pass information; amateurs give instructions

David Marquet shows how professionals help park a plane.

Why is this important if you want to make your team happy?

According to the US Surgeon General, one of the essentials to feeling happy at work is that you feel you have autonomy of how you work; you feel you are not micromanaged. By giving people information, they can then use it the way they want to execute the task the way they think is best. On the other hand, by giving people instructions, they have no freedom and no autonomy.

Tip of the week

Next time you need something done - pass information, don't give instructions.

And if you see someone squeezing into a parking spot and want to help, try not to terrify the driver.

People who feel they have more autonomy at work are happier and, given more freedom to work the way they want to, will probably do a better job too.

If you’re interested in different ways of giving your teams autonomy check out this article with examples from the Navy Seals and Timpsons.

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