Monkey Empowerment

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 Empowering someone to fix something themselves is something I never tire of, when you see an employee go from strength to strength it's an amazing feeling.

The monkey on the back concept resonated quite early on with me in my career.

I remember when I first started out in management and all I wanted to do was do a good job and get the job done.

To the detriment of my family, I found myself working long hours and weekends and soon realised this needed to change, so I threw myself into becoming a more effective manager.

I studied and joined different workshops to gather as much information as possible to give me the tools I needed to be able to implement them into my day to day working life.

It was around this time I came across the 'Who’s got the Monkey?' concept. The light bulb switched ON.

“Managing Management Time: Who’s Got the Monkey?” Was written by Bill Oncken Jr and first appeared in a 1974 Harvard Business review article.

I put my own twist on this concept and turned the monkey into a tangible metaphor. The concept was the same; why fix something for an employee when I could empower them to fix it themselves?

I drafted up a detailed letter introducing the monkey and the concept behind it, then went out and bought 10 monkeys (soft toys, or monkey display pieces). I kept these monkeys for a long time hoping I would soon be able to pass them onto the employees.

The strategy was to delegate different parts/projects to the team, keeping in mind the skillsets of each employee. 

I organised catch up sessions to ensure they understood the next step. These organised catch ups took away the risk of the monkey coming back on my shoulder. Holding your team accountable gains so much respect and shows them you trust them and in turn they trust you.

Over the years the monkeys can be found in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, and even some parts of the UK! The Monkeys are being cared for by their new owners and represent a 'Job well done'.

Employees who are motivated increase in productivity which allows your company to achieve their goals.

Inspiring one person could result in a team of inspiring employees, growing your business with a proud monkey sat on their desk.

Removing these monkeys off my shoulders not only gave me more time with my family but also played a massive part in the success of the company's vision and strategic plan.

I have taken this concept with me throughout my career in leadership and it has never failed. (it’s getting a bit harder to find the monkey!)

Building teams, holding employees accountable, but most importantly identifying the skills your business needs to develop are key to achieving success. Some of these are often right in front of your eyes. You don't always need to throw thousands of dollars into your business to keep moving; you just need an inspired team.

I don't believe any good leaders can achieve all the company goals alone. It's about bringing out the best in others. I have always been passionate, confident and strategic in my thinking with plenty of emotional intelligence and a sense of humour thrown in 😊