Slaves or free men?
November 27 2006
“It is easier to make slaves of free men than to make free men of slaves”! So states an ancient Arab proverb. It may be ancient, but there are parallels in emerging economies as the bonds of central control are loosened.
And small businesses, too, are often under central control! As a business grows, owners can lose touch with the circumstances that surround a problem. They may therefore need to release discretion down the line. In a larger business, managers or supervisors may be better placed to make decisions, by reason of being closer to the problem.
Where the issues are about employees, this closeness is frequently relevant. A direct supervisor or manager usually knows the detail about day-to-day problems. Thus misconduct, poor attendance and poor performance should be tackled at a level below the top, at least initially.
The aim for the owner is to be able to focus on the business. He or she needs to step back from day-to-day people issues.
Owners may find discomfort in relinquishing responsibility. But supervisors who have been used to close supervision from the owner can be discomforted too. They may become insecure, defensive and risk adverse. They may seek to avoid taking responsibility. Lack of confidence can lead to bullying and poor management practices. This is a real risk and there can be a variety of serious consequences. Yet supervisors and managers do need to be able to think freely. Such freethinking needs to be tempered with good skills and sound knowledge. There are genuine risks if it is not.
It is misconduct and attendance that are often a major source of concern to supervisors. Providing training to address those concerns will generate self-confidence. Such training needs to include skills and knowledge in handling people. As well as increased confidence, training invariably creates other benefits. It increases commitment to the employer, and supervisors become more willing to take responsibility. There is an improvement in terms of productivity and profitability and this in turn can provide a significant financial pay-off.
A further benefit is that if problems are dealt with effectively, formal disciplinary proceedings are rarely needed. And supervisors become “free men”!
