Worried about employee performance? The solution might not be the obvious answer: foster self-determination. Micro-management can diminish productivity, and in some cases can take a sinister form, like monitoring computer activity. Managers were once accustomed to seeing their employees face-to-face, but many have lost that ease of access, creating a perceived lack of control. However, that lack of control is but a micro-manager’s fantasy: read my latest article in strategy + business to learn why.

Management is not about counting butts in seats. It is about creating the conditions where people can contribute to the fullest extent of their abilities. It requires understanding the human factors in organizations. The “great reassessment” by workers has made this abundantly clear.