This morning, I spent some time coloring with my two-year-old granddaughter. She doesn’t always color within the lines. However, it never occurred to me while I was coloring with her to do anything other than praise her for using different colors, for her enthusiasm, and for her willingness to color with me.
This got me thinking about our employees.
Is it possible that we are so fixated on ensuring that our employees “stay within the lines” that we are discouraging them?
I am, of course, not talking about ethical or legal lines.
But there are some areas where we may need to be more flexible. Your employees may not do things the way you would. But it is possible that they are doing a great job, even if they aren’t doing it exactly as you would.
Unleashing people’s creativity and allowing them to “color outside the lines” can be an excellent way to make your organization more diverse. Allowing your employees to feel this freedom will strengthen your organization and its culture.
Take some time to celebrate what your team members are doing. Don’t be so fixated on whether they’re in your lines or not.