Do you lead by hitting the top or bottom thread?
Have you ever watched tennis on TV or live? Have you noticed that many times one player tries to slow the game down while the other one gives the ball a boost?
Tennis games are often won by the player who provides the momentum, i.e. who hits the top corner.
If you've ever held a bat in your hand, you know what we mean. The bottom thread slows the ball down, the top thread gives it momentum. The best example of a sub-spin is the hitchhiker - a top-heavy shot where you try to stop the ball immediately after it crosses the net. You rarely see it because it requires perfect conditions. Most often, players use the undercut when they panic and can't think of anything else to do.
When tightening, we start to brake
The same phenomenon happens in management. When the market is difficult, the first reaction is to put on the brakes and start an austerity programme.
Unfortunately, this can be witnessed in many Finnish companies at the moment. As a manager, you may recognise the situation from a thought that once circulated in Jaakko's mind during his career.”
Processes become rigid, reporting becomes extensive, team meetings are rigorous, questions are asked about results. Micromanagement becomes a habit, not a vice.
Tunnel vision is a pain and doing the work becomes a coping mechanism. Sound familiar?
Winning shots are made with the upper thread
Next time you watch a tennis match, pay attention to one thing: a large proportion of shots, especially winning shots, are taken in the upper corner. Virtually all of them.
This insight is worth trying to use in your own management. After the challenging times of the past few years, it's worth stopping to look at your own people. Have a conversation with everyone about why we do this work. When you meet people as people, you can discover new ideas, thoughts and developments that would otherwise go unnoticed.
One of our customers found an AI-savvy operator on their production line who had been thinking about their processes and wanted to test how they could be improved with AI. Behind this discovery was the simple question, ’what else do you do for a living besides this job?’.
Top spiral = leading through people
Using the top-down approach to management means, in a few words, managing through people. It means:
- You tell us why the work is being done. Start with the why, as Simon Sinek says. You give your work a meaning that goes beyond the numbers.
- You ensure a common goal. Not a short-term goal, but the bigger picture. You take the time to think together about how to articulate the goal in a way that is shared and inspiring.
- You give the authorisation. An authorisation is a licence to hit the top gear. It is permission to consider alternative solutions and to express your ideas safely, without judging or criticising anyone.
When people are empowered to fulfil themselves as they work towards a mutually agreed goal, a positive spiral is created - an upward spiral.
Many leaders fear that hitting the top spiral means losing control. In reality, it means gaining control over the right things. Control of the things that really drive the business forward: people's energy and creativity.
What is the current spiral in your leadership? The upward or downward spiral?
