Delegating Effectively: Compliance vs. Commitment

In traditional organizations managers set goals, make decisions, establish and manage the budget, set policies, control the flow of information, etc.  In these organizations, managers are the “thinkers and planners” and employees are merely the “doers”.  This sets up an attitude of compliance in the minds of the workers.  People’s hearts are not in their work. They learn to get by, do the minimum and watch the clock.

In high-performance organizations, leaders recognize the value and potential of their human resources and want to get the most possible from them, so they create a culture and organizational design in which people participate in goal-setting, making decisions, and solving problems. People go beyond compliance to commitment in their motivation. They want to be part of the organization and are excited to contribute to its success and improvement.

What do you think would happen if your employees truly felt and acted like partners in the business?  What if they saw it as their business and not just your business?  What would be the consequences?