CADDManager on August 22nd, 2011
This entry is part 16 of 17 in the series Principles of CAD Management

Nearing the end of Fayol’s list of 14 principles brings us to Initiative.

Many of his principles stand the test of time and especially this one.  Allowing personal initiative in employees will garner creativity, energy, personal efforts and more.  When people are allowed to work toward an idea that they have come up with or embraced,they work harder.  When they have the perspective of personal ownership in something or a stake in the outcome, they work harder and with zeal.

Initiative is a readiness, willingness and ability to initiate action.

How does this work itself out in a CAD environment and what can a CAD Manager do to encourage personal initiative?

Nurturing Initiative

Readiness – Employees need to be ready to initiate things.  Readiness comes when you provide the basic environment that allows others to take action. This environment will allow workers access to software and hardware tools that are needed.  It also provides (controlled) access to standard files, setups, configurations and troubleshooting tools.

Willingness -Users have to be willing to take action.  This comes from an environment that allows mistakes to be made without retribution.  It rewards initiative and action.  It seeks out those that are willing to do something and makes them heroes.  It nurtures the willing to take action.  It encourages teamwork and communication so that no one is just off doing their own thing.

Ability – Team members have to have the ability to correct, create and control their work environment (working inside the global firm guidelines).  They may be ready and willing – but if they can’t actually make anything happen, then they will soon wander off.  Give them access (again, controlled) to more areas as they prove their ability to make the right call.

Initiate Action – They need to actually do something.  Initiative is not just complaining or whining about the current situation.  It is not letting someone else know about an issue so they can fix it (although it might include this).  It is taking action.  It is making a call.  It is creating or refining a process.  Initiative is hands on.

 

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