If the 20th century was the age of “command and control” style management, I worry sometimes that “enlightened” managers of the 21st century can go too far to the opposite end of the spectrum.
Flex hours are great. I’m a big supporter of meritocracies and providing employees with autonomy. But that doesn’t mean that your people (yes, even your top people) don’t need direction. They do. They need to know where you want to go, and why. The don’t want to be micro-managed. They do want a clear goal and the resources to make that happen. Here’s the interesting part (Enlightened managers, listen up!) – the more autonomy and freedoms you want to give them, the clearer that vision of where you’re headed needs to be. By all means, let them figure out how to get there on their own, just make sure that, as the leader, you’re exceptionally clear about where “there” is… and that you’ve communicated it effectively.
