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Whatever You Do, Don't Let Them Know Where You Are Going
"Communicate downward to subordinates with at least the same care and attention as you communicate upward to superiors."
- L. B. Belker
Many of us are familiar with the 80's TV sitcom "Who is the Boss?." The show was a comedy about a housekeeper, Tony Danza, and his relationship with his boss, a career woman, and her family. While the show ran for many years and was truly funny, today's newsletter is anything but funny and highlights a dark comedy called "Where is the Boss?"
The starring role is an owner or boss that does not think they need to let their staff or co-workers know where they are going or when they will return. This concept of keeping employees in the dark is foreign to me. While writing this article, I had to step back and ask why anyone would do this. Here are some strange possibilities:
- The owner caught a disease call "owneritis" that makes them feel so special they do not need to tell anyone where they are going. They bought the company or started the company to move away from having to be accountable. Their mantra is " They don't need to know what I am doing every minute of the day!"
- The owner or manager was coached that once they reached their level of power, they do not need to communicate this level of detail...that they have the freedom now to do what they want when they want to...
- They believe that staff having their cell phone number should be enough because they are always accessible.
Below are some of the consequences that staff members have shared with me regarding the boss who does not let them know where they are going:
- "We are frustrated because a customer or client calls and we do not know where they are so we sound unprofessional."
- "It creates a tension in the office when we are unsure what the boss is working on....are they working as hard as we are?"
- "While we may be able to call them on their cell phones, we cannot show them any problems we are experiencing and we are less productive wondering when they will return."
The act of not communicating your whereabouts to staff leads to rumors being started around your activities. If they don't know, they will make something up. In its purest sense, the secrecy could be considered arrogance. Being an effective communicator is at the top of skills necessary for leadership because lack of communication leads to decreased morale which decreases productivity.
Question: Are you a boss or manager that has a problem with letting your staff know what you are doing, where you are going and when you will return?
Call to Action: Begin the new year with a new philosophy of being trusted and transparent with your staff. Let them know where you are going (you do not need to tell them the individual you are meeting with if it violates any confidentiality) how long you expect to be gone and when you will return. Then, to really create trust, call them and tell them if you are running late to return. They will love you for this! They will work harder for you and model this same behavior back to you which will build more trust for better results!
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