In the ever-evolving landscape of modern business, fostering an environment of trust and autonomy has become a defining factor in employee satisfaction and overall productivity. Employees yearn to be treated like adults and to work alongside colleagues they respect. They seek an atmosphere where they are trusted to get on with their jobs without constant monitoring and micromanagement. This blog post explores the importance of trusting your employees to get on with their job and highlights the successful practices of renowned companies like Netflix and Google.
I’ve just finished reading a book called, ‘That Will Never Work’ by Marc Randolph, Cofounder and former CEO of Netflix. In it he gives fantastic insight into the journey of Netflix from the inception of the idea to be an online supplier of rental DVDs, through to the global streaming platform that it has become. It shows the challenges, risks, and rewards of entrepreneurship, as well as the lessons learned from Randolph’s experience as the co-founder and first CEO of Netflix.
Most company policies have historically been designed to monitor employees and keep them in a structured order. However, Randolph recognised the value of a different approach. Netflix’s policy, later codified as “Freedom & Responsibility,” was simple but revolutionary: hire the best talent available, provide them with challenging problems, and grant them the freedom to solve these problems. This approach acknowledges the expertise and competence of employees, allowing them to thrive. Netflix’s commitment to their culture is obvious through this page on their website.
In his own words, Randolph said, “When a company is small, trust and efficiency go hand-in-hand. If you’ve got the right people on your team, you don’t need to tell them exactly how you want them to do things – in fact, you often don’t even need to tell them what you want them to do. You simply need to be clear about what you want to accomplish and why it’s important. If you have the right people — smart, capable, trustworthy — they’ll figure out what needs to be done and will go ahead and do it. They solve problems on their own before you even know the problem exists. And if you don’t have the right person? It’ll become apparent, really quick.”
Effective leadership involves telling employees what the destination is, not dictating every step of the journey. It’s about being outcome-focused rather than process-focused. While process-oriented approaches are essential in certain environments, especially in businesses that produce physical products, higher-level tasks benefit from an outcome-focused approach. This shift in mindset fosters innovation and allows employees to take ownership of their work.
This article on forbes.com discusses the concept of outcome-based management, emphasising its importance in modern business practices. It stresses that setting clear outcomes and allowing employees the flexibility to determine how to achieve them can lead to remarkable results.
Google, a company celebrated for its innovative workplace culture, is a prime example of an organisation that trusts its employees to excel. Google’s People Operations, known for its innovative human resources practices, has been instrumental in creating a culture of clarity and trust.
One key aspect of Google’s successful culture is transparency. Unlike traditional software companies where new engineers often see only the code of their projects, Google encourages newcomers to access everything from product launch initiatives to weekly status reports from other employees. The CEO provides weekly updates to the entire company, followed by a 30-minute Q&A session, ensuring that everyone is aware of who is working on what and who to consult for specific projects.
Moreover, Google values every employee’s input and gives them a say in how the company operates. Many of the company’s best practices originated from the employees themselves. In 2009, Google launched the Bureaucracy Busters program, allowing employees to identify and address their biggest frustrations.
In an inspiring shift, Google started looking for candidates who displayed resilience and the ability to overcome obstacles, rather than just focusing on prestigious degrees. They realised that the key was to hire individuals who were better than them, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.
In conclusion, trusting your employees to get on with their jobs is a cornerstone of a productive and innovative workplace. It’s a shift from rigid, process-focused management to outcome-oriented leadership. Companies like Netflix and Google have demonstrated that this approach leads to higher job satisfaction, increased productivity, and a culture of trust, autonomy, and collaboration. So, do you know a manager who’s too insecure to implement these trust-based strategies? It might be time for a change.