Marine Fabricator September/October 2024 - 40

Shop Talk Business
Your greatest untapped asset
Encourage your employees' creativity by letting go of the reins.
by Jason Bader
W
hen we think of assets in an
organization, our thoughts
generally lean toward the
accounting definitions. We have cash
tied up in inventory and accounts
receivable. We have cash tied up in
equipment or other fixed assets. And, we
have cash tied up in, well, cash. These
are all perfectly acceptable definitions
of organizational assets. Unfortunately,
when we take this clinical approach, we
fail to recognize the greatest untapped
asset of all-the collective creativity of
the people who work with us and for us.
Creativity comes from confidence
in one's strengths and abilities. This
confidence may be a byproduct of
someone's education. It may come from
past work experience or even from onthe-job
training in their current position.
The point is that everyone is given the
innate ability to be creative based on
past experiences, but they do not always
have the confidence to express their
thoughts. This is the untapped resource.
As a leader, it is incumbent upon you to
help coach your employees to explore
and utilize their talents. To do so, you just
might have to give up a little control.
BOSSes rule
Over the course of our careers, we have
been exposed to several types of authority
figures. Everyone has met the BOSS-
Boisterous Omnipotent Self-Indulgent
Sociopath. This definition was given to
me by my good friend and colleague Rick
Johnson, Ph.D., of CEO Strategist LLC.
BOSSes are consumed with control.
40 Marine Fabricator | Sept/Oct 2024
They direct rather than coach. They
berate rather than explain. Their edicts
begin with " I " versus " We. " Frankly, this
management style is exhausting. Not
only do BOSSes have to make all the
decisions, they find themselves constantly
looking for more victims caused by
a high degree of turnover. Of course,
there are times when being a BOSS is
appropriate; however, my hope is that
these times are rare rather than frequent.
The BOSS management style is
a creativity killer. Why would team
members want to offer up their own
opinions? BOSSes are so fearful of
losing control that they do everything
in their power to avoid input. In their
mind, inviting others to make decisions
is a sign of weakness. It means they
are somehow failing to meet the
requirements of their job. Furthermore,
they are deathly afraid that someone
will find out they don't always have the
answer. As irrational as it sounds here
on paper, many organizations are rife
with ineffective, fear-based managers.
Leaders empower
On the flip side, servant-style leaders
recognize the potential of collective
creativity. Rather than fear the input
of their teams, they encourage it. As
my friend Abe WalkingBear Sanchez,
a noted thinker in organizational
efficiencies, says, " thinking should
not only be encouraged; it should
be a condition of employment. "
A servant-style leader understands
the power of humility. Many confuse

Marine Fabricator September/October 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Marine Fabricator September/October 2024

Marine Fabricator September/October 2024 - Cover1
Marine Fabricator September/October 2024 - Cover2
Marine Fabricator September/October 2024 - 1
Marine Fabricator September/October 2024 - 2
Marine Fabricator September/October 2024 - 3
Marine Fabricator September/October 2024 - 4
Marine Fabricator September/October 2024 - 5
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Marine Fabricator September/October 2024 - 44
Marine Fabricator September/October 2024 - cover3
Marine Fabricator September/October 2024 - cover4
Marine Fabricator September/October 2024 - MFConfBroch1
Marine Fabricator September/October 2024 - MFConfBroch2
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