The following is from speaker and author Scott Berkun. It makes a ton of sense. I love the thoroughbred analogy.
Dear Micromanager:
Owners of thoroughbreds never stop their horses mid-race, every ten seconds, to remind the horse and jockey how to run, where the finish line is, or that it’d be good to finish first. Why? It would slow them down. Only an idiot would do this.
If you’re a manager, you must assume you have thoroughbreds working for you. Your job is to give them what they need to win their respective races, agreeing with them on goals and rewards, but then getting the hell out of the way. Until they start jumping fences or attacking other horses, you must let them run their race …
Read the rest of the letter at Scott Berkun’s site. (And, for gosh sakes, if you have horses, let them run.)
Neil Sagebiel 