Ecological Human Services Management

  Chapter I: The Change at Work   Gus was a forty-year-old manager in a large enterprise. He had worked at the company for twelve years and had just been promoted to manager. With the new title, however, came new responsibilities and expectations. The company had recently gone through some changes, and Gus was charged with helping the employees adjust and succeed in their new roles. At first, Gus wasn't sure how to approach this. He was a task- oriented manager, and he was used to sticking to the strategies he had employed in the past. But he could see that the same methods weren't working here. He observed the team around him and noticed that they seemed to be operating in a very different style than before. The team was more empowered, and everyone was more willing to take initiative and try out new ideas. It seemed like the company had begun to trust the employees more and give them more control. That's when Gus had a revelation. Perhaps if he gave the staff more control and autonomy, while still hold