I was in conversation with a business owner this past week about establishing an office at an interstate location.  The plans for establishing the office are well advanced and the office is on course to be opened next month.  The business owner was looking to have a conversation about how to manage the person appointed to run that office without micro-managing that person.

During our conversation, we discussed the following three strategies on how the business owner can help the manager without micro-managing:

1. Clarify the role – The business owner must have a conversation with the manager to explain that he is available to help as required and will not seek to judge and or takeover from the manager. The business owner must be explicit about what he is trying to achieve when he does decide to intervene.
2. Align with the Manager’s Needs – To provide the manger with useful help, the business owner must take the time to fully understand the managers’ problems, especially when the issues are thorny. If the work is complex, creative, and cognitively demanding, he will need to engage deeply with the manager. This means allocating the time and attention to help in a way that works for the manager
3. Time the Help Wisely – The timing of any advice is critical. The business owner must give the manager the space and the time to gain the knowledge required about what needs to be done and express their views on it.   The business owner should provide only seek to provide advice once problems begin to emerge not before.

During this conversation I was reminded of the quote by US Army General George S Patton:

“Never tell people how things are done.  Tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity”