168 CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS
DECISION-MAKING BLUNDERS AND SOLUTIONS
Now, let's look at each of the four methods in turn. What are the
common blunders associated with each, and more importantly,
how can we avoid them?
Appropriate Use of Command
The mistake. For years, employees have complained that their
bosses are far too bossy. They hand out orders like Halloween
candy. They not only tell people what to do, but also restrict
them to only one way of doing it. They give directions down to
the tiniest detail when it would be better to allow the employee
to work out the details of how the job will be done. After all, the
employee is not only closest to the job, but is also the expert on
how to do it.
Today's generation of employees (and children, for that mat
ter) expects to be involved in more decisions than their grand
parents ever faced. That's where the empowerment movement
came from. Younger people don't see themselves as a pair of
hands seeking direction. They want to think. They want to
decide. They're willing to take on more responsibility.
So as you face a potential "command decision," consider the
following:
- Don't pass out orders like candy. We face enough command
decisions (constraints placed on us by outside forces) without
making up new ones. As a general rule, if people can make choic
es, allow them to do so. Don't tie their hands without reason.
With kids, for example, you may establish rules about cleanliness
in the common areas of the home, but you may let them choose
(within the boundaries of hygiene) how to keep their rooms. - When you fa ce a command decision, ask which elements are
flexible. Once a standard has been set by an agency or an order