One of the biggest problems of today involves creativity. This especially applies to the business world. I am not talking about an absence of creativity. There is abundant creativity everywhere you look.
Nevertheless creativity is often stifled, especially in the business community. This is due to a basic lack of trust on the part of leaders and management. Leaders wrongly believe that they are the only ones who can handle business matters.
When I first started my business, I also had this attitude and spent a great deal of time micromanaging my people. This is the worst thing that a leader can do with employees because it demonstrates that you do not trust your workers enough to do the work they were hired to do.
When leaders operate on this level, it comes from a very selfish and egotistical place. I finally realized that if I wanted the company to succeed then I would have to trust my employees and allow them a certain amount of freedom.
This decision was also important for my personal growth as well because if I had continued to micromanage employees then I would also be at a disadvantage. Without the benefit of my employees’ information and insight, my company would not be able to sustain success. That is because old ideas cause stagnation.
When employees are allowed to express themselves and offer their personal wisdom, then organizations expand and grow. When you have the same people making decisions day after day, nothing moves forward.
Everyone has creativity within. Some of us are aware that we have innovative ideas but are not allowed to express them due to micromanagement. Others have never been given the opportunity to discover the creativity within them. It is the job of a good leader to trust workers so that they nurture and express their creativity. Good leaders will also work to find the hidden capabilities within people who may not be aware of their talents.
When employees are not given freedom they feel that they are not trusted. Without trust, no relationship can survive and eventually employees will look elsewhere for employees. High turnover rates cause a lot of disruption in organizations so companies need to do everything they can to retain workers.
One of the simplest things that can be done to do this is to give workers the freedom to take full advantage of their ideas and creativity. The best part is this method does not cost any money. What your organization can gain from more ideas and input is priceless.
