In an Awesome workplace, people have full freedom to determine where, when, and how to get their work done. They have 100% autonomy. And that comes with personal responsibility – they hold themselves accountable for their work.
In Dan Pink’s book, Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us, he lays out the research and findings that Purpose, Autonomy, and Mastery are key to motivation.
So it goes to reason that for leaders to engage their teams and motivate them to do their best work, they need to provide autonomy.
In our Leadership Development programs, we talk a lot about trust, and how important it is for leaders to start from a place of trusting their team, providing autonomy and assuming they are responsible adults. When you create an atmosphere where people have to prove they can be trusted, it drains energy and puts people’s focus on politics and proving themselves versus simply doing great work.
And yet, I know that those high levels of trust from the start and the feeling of freedom that truly makes us feel like we’re in control of our lives and work are rare.
I talk to people every day with micromanaging bosses. I hear about leaders telling people when and where they need to be in the office. I know leaders who, with positive intention, behave in ways that serve to keep control over their team members and to ensure things are done in the exact way they have done them personally.
I hear complaints about what bosses do that stifles creativity and engagement. There are millions of employees waiting for their boss to stop commanding and controlling and to start empowering and leading.
So, if you’re someone who craves more freedom at work, stop waiting for your boss to change.
Start changing your own habits.
These tips are for you, if your boss hasn’t let go of the level of control they keep
Read on to learn how you can encourage your manager to provide you with higher levels of autonomy. But be forewarned, because it means you levelling up your own accountability.
Gain Autonomy with Purpose
There’s a reason for your job. But you may not know it unless you’re intentional about uncovering it.
Sometimes HR teams outline the purpose of your role in the job description. Have you really paid atention to that? Check it out and think about what the (often flowery) language means in actual outcomes.
- Are you responsible for a level of customer satisfaction?
- Does the work you do impact other team members?
- Are there financial results that you are accountable for?
- How does your role help the organization to achieve strategic goals?
If it’s not clear, ask yourself: What would happen if my role didn’t exist? What would the impact be?
Once you are clear about why your role exists and the impact you’re meant to have, as you work each day, ask yourself:
How have I helped the organization (or our team / customers / etc) today?
When you practice thinking about your role in this more strategic way, you’ll get used to connecting your tasks to the greater team. You’ll start to notice the impact you’re having. Share some of those observations with your manager to gain their trust and grow your level of autonomy.
Paint Done for more Autonomy
Your job may be made up of a number of tasks or responsibilities. Do you know why each of them matters?
In her book, Dare to Lead, Brené Brown uses a term, “Paint done,” when she talks about managers delegating to others.
We suggest you paint done for yourself, and then check in with your manager. When they see that you’re being intentional about the context and outcomes of your work, their level of trust will increase.
Ask these questions to “paint done”:
- What is the ultimate outcome we want from this task or responsibility?What
- What will success look like when this is completed?
- How will the work I do here be used by others?
- How does this relate to the larger scheme of this project or our team’s work?
- What if this is done incorrectly – what will the impact be?
Once you’re clear, share with your manager, “I’ve been thinking about this project. Here’s what I’m thinking will be really important as I work through it. Do you agree? What am I missing here, so I can ensure I help our team meet our objectives?”
Your manager will see that you’re able to connect the dots and see the outcomes you’re responsible for. Over time, you’ll win greater autonomy.
Level Up Accountability by Micromanaging Yourself
Does your manager spend time telling you all the things you need do, in order, to accomplish something?
Do you find them checking in often to see what you’re doing next, confirming or dictating each small step and making sure you know what to next?
Do they go into a lot of detail about how and what?
This can be extremely helpful the first time you do something, but it can get old pretty quickly.
If you’re finding yourself feeling micromanaged, it’s time to supersede them. Anticipate the possibility and plan your own tasks.
- Next time your manager is delegating a project or responsibility to you, ask for a bit of time to plan your approach so you can see if you’re on the right track.
- Think through how you’ll accomplish the tasks, and craft your own steps.
- Share your plan with your manager and ask for their feedback.
Once you’ve done this a few times, they’ll start to see that they don’t have to micromanage you. You’ll gain autonomy by showing you can be accountable for planning your work.
Use “Fresh Eyes” to be Awesome
In my past career, I spent time as a restaurant manager, and we had a term, “Fresh Eyes,” that we used to remind ourselves to walk through our restaurants as thought it was our first time.
That level of presence that we would bring on these “fresh eyes’ tours would help us to see the dust on lighting fixtures, how the position of a sign blocked sight-lines to the door, or gave us an essential glimpse into the feeling of a guest’s first impression.
You are not here on this earth to be average, so don’t let your work suffer from average-ness.
You may have been passed tasks that have been done by others for years, and you continued to do them in the same way. Pause the next time and use a fresh eyes approach.
Ask yourself, “how can I make this more awesome?” Whether it’s a spreadsheet that could be formatted for easier consumption or a meeting that’s been run the same way every week for years, there are small tweaks that you can bring to your work to take it from average to awesome.
The more awesome each thing you do is, the more autonomy your manager will start to grant you.
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