10 Myths of Management: Shades of a Lack of Trust

Most managers have trouble trusting their employees to take ownership in the business. A good manager should not only trust their employees, but should be able to engender trust from employees that brings out the best in them. You cannot expect an employee to succeed without both clear direction and encouragement from a manager they love and respect.

1. Strict rules ensure productivity.

Reality: Overly rigid policies often stifle creativity, morale, and engagement, leading to lower productivity.

Solution: Start with your company vision and evangelize it to everyone in the company. Remember, it can take up to seven (7) times for you to repeat it before it sinks in. Then, make policies based on the needs of good, responsible employees and avoid hiring or prolonging the tenure of those that require special attention.

2. Micromanagement guarantees quality.

Reality: Micromanaging undermines trust, reduces autonomy, and can create dependency or resentment among employees.

Solution: Do track group performance and share findings openly with the team, without singling out anyone. Allow them to improve on their own, and encourage team members to make suggestions for process improvement.

3. Employees will slack off if not constantly monitored.

Reality: Most employees are intrinsically motivated, especially when they feel trusted and valued.

Solution: Track individual performance and review at least monthly with each individual. Be realistic about expectations and allow them to prove themselves.

4. Flexibility equals laziness.

Reality: Offering flexibility (e.g., remote work or flexible hours) often boosts productivity and work-life balance.

Solution: Continue to track performance as a group and individually and let them manage their production. If there are employees who are "cheating on the clock", then all the other honest employees would expect you to remove them.

5. Being tough earns respect.

Reality: Respect is earned through fairness, empathy, and clear communication, not intimidation or authoritarian behavior.

Solution: Work with your leads and managers to provide an environment of safety for each employee, where they feel safe to express their concerns. Let down your guard and be vulnerable with your employees. Learn about their lives and their needs — it's not always about money or attendance.

6. Frequent performance reviews prevent slacking.

Reality: Overly critical reviews can create anxiety and hurt performance rather than encouraging improvement.

Solution: Yes, information and communication is involuable, but there is no need need to motivate by guilt. Focus on encouragement and being a cheerleader for the team.

7. Trust must be earned before being given.

Reality: Trusting employees upfront often encourages them to act responsibly and build loyalty.

Solution: It may be hard, but set your default view to TRUST in others, and you will find they are much more trustworthy than you would have thought. If someone truly is untrustworthy, then that person will not fit on your team.

8. High expectations need strict enforcement.

Reality: Setting high expectations works best when paired with support, encouragement, and resources to succeed.

Solution: Stop trying to "enforce" success. That's a pipe dream (or a nightmare for the other person). Do help the team to establish well-documented processes (e.g. CMMI, ISO) that everyone can abide by to establishes truly achievable high standards.

9. Enforcing long hours shows commitment.

Reality: Long hours often lead to burnout, reduced efficiency, and higher turnover rates.

Solution: Put your people before your product, before your customers, and even before your shareholders. Treat them like members of a team and give them ownership of the processes. Then stand back and watch them double down to get the work out. You might then have to encourage them to back off a little.

10. If employees enjoy their job, they won’t take it seriously.

Reality: Happy employees are more likely to be productive, creative, and committed to the organization.

Solution: You don't have to hire people who think the job is a cakewalk or who feel entitled to be lazy. Most employees are proud of their work and enjoy doing a good job. Encourage it.

To put it bluntly, if you can't bring yourself to both trust your employees and inspire them to perform, then you cannot function as a manager.