Empowerment - Trust = Micro-Manager

My wife Patty and I some time back completed a massive renovation on a townhome in the Seattle area.   The townhome was built in the late 70's and was decorated using all of the finest materials that the Disco era had to offer.  The original owners liked it so much that they changed precisely nothing for the 30 years they lived there right down to the 8-track player on the guest room night stand.  We purchased the townhome in late 2009 with the intention of renovating the townhome and occupying it after our son graduated high school.

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Patty and I assumed logical roles throughout the renovation.  I took lead on the structural design: room size, room location, wall demolition and construction.  Through the structural design process Patty and I made decisions together but I was the primary driver of the work.  As we got into the renovation, Patty took lead on fit and finish: wall colors, hardware choices, tile and grout.  She consulted with me on choices but she was the primary driver of the work.  The renovation went incredibly smooth and we moved into a beautifully renovated townhome right on schedule .

We were recounting our renovation experience to friends of ours at dinner.  Our friends complimented us on how well we worked as a team on the renovation.  The comment caused me to liken our renovation experience to how leaders empower others.  The common denominator to Patty and I empowering each other on our structural and fit/finish roles was trust.    Patty trusted me in my structural decision making capacity and also trusted that I would include her when she needed to be included.  At the same time I trusted Patty in her fit and finish decision making.  Our ability to trust each other and to be trustworthy enabled us to get the job done while at the same time growing stronger in our marriage.

My one nugget to you is as follows: empowerment and trust go hand in hand.  The leader and follower need be able to trust each other.  At the same time, the leader and follower need to demonstrate that they are trustworthy so that mutual trust can be enabled.  When trust is compromised, the leader will tend to micro-manage work and the follower will tend to hide information and sweep problems under the carpet.  In either scenario, true empowerment is never achieved and results in a frustrating experience for both the leader and follower.

Lonnie Pacelli
Keynote Speaker | Board Director | Autism Advocate | Author | Project Management Expert | Microsoft/Accenture Veteran 
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