10. If your employees behave like children, it’s your fault as a manager
I often hear managers complain about how their employees act like children. That they won’t do anything unless you control them. They fail all the deadlines, deliver poor quality work. This is why, they explain, they start tracking employee work hours, introduce fines for being late, set tough deadlines.
I don’t really know how it works with factory workers as I’ve never managed any. But as far as IT staff are concerned, I know for sure that if programmers behave like a bunch of kids and “commit their pants”, it is a manager’s fault. If you treat someone like a child, they will act like one. Developer teams should be able to plan their work, make decisions and drive results. Of course, a lot depends on the person and the kind of task they were given. But generally, if you see an IT manager who complains about having irresponsible staff, you are most probably dealing with an amateur. Even if they have over 30 years of experience.
Tales of a Product Owner: concentrated wisdom about project management, team creation and UX. New tale every Tuesday and Thursday!
