For a while I have been looking into different life philosophies such as Daoism (not the religion), Buddhism and Zen. Zen is my favorite because it can be integrated in every aspect of life. You do not have to live the world and isolate yourself, Zen can be in everything you do.
Also, I am always trying to figure out how to get better at whatever I do. So at the moment, I am reading up on management (amongst other things). On of the books I came across was the hands off manager, I wanted to have a few words about the book.
Reading this book really felt like reading one of those little Zen books I am fond of. The similarities are quite incredible. The book is based on interviews and discussions with a successful business man. Maybe Zen masters are everywhere, even in the cold business world. In a way, it is nice. It just proves it is possible to be successful in business and be nice to your workforce. Anyway, back to the book. First, it starts with: you need to know yourself. the book goes on about why you might not be and how to get there. I am not really a Zen student, so it is tough for me to comment. But it seems the whole idea is to find yourself. That seems to be the key to most endeavors. Any book about self fulfillment, happiness all start with knowing who you are. The book does not go as far as saying you need to be happy in order to be able to manage, but according to what I could find, if you truly find yourself, you should be. The deal is how can you expect to truly direct people if you cannot even direct yourself.
The second part (I am really over simplifying it) is how you need to trust your people to make the right decisions, that includes giving them enough room to make their own mistakes. I believe that is key. I left a place before because I felt there was no room there for me to make my own decisions and have the chance to make mistakes. And to be honest I did make a few since then. I probably have a lot more to make, what is important I believe is to learn from them, not fear them. We sometimes progress a lot faster from the mistakes we make than the chances we did not take. The book gives you the choice between being a stressful micro-manager and a more relaxed hands-off manager. It takes courage to let go and trust other people. It figures you need to be understanding and trusting yourself before you can trust other people.
I really liked the approach of the book, I believe that is the only way I want to be a manager. If I have to worry everyday whether the job is getting done or live in an environment where I cannot trust the people around me, that's just not worth it. It might sound a bit touchy feely, but it is not. It is important to understand that not everyone might be suited for the job at hand and finding the right person for the job is totally the first and most important thing to do. Once you have found the right person, there is just so much to do together. Anyway, I was a bit nervous the first time I had to manage, but as it turns out, even I had something to contribute. By giving them enough room, you are also giving them enough room to teach you, that is the best part.
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