The days of supervisor, compliance, shifts, and authoritative micromanagement are over.
I started working in corporate America at a large defense contractor in the early 90s. We worked from 7:30 am to 4:15 pm, with a 45-minute lunch break. At 7:15, my manager walked around the office informally tracking attendance. Same thing at 1:00 and then again at 4:30. We filled out weekly time cards and tracked overtime and compensation time in 15-minute increments.
Tucked behind a drawer in my desk, I discovered a crumpled snapshot of this very office from the 50s. The image revealed a workspace reminiscent of kindergarten classrooms—rows of identical desks directed towards the supervisor’s spot. Occupying each station was an indistinguishable man — crew cuts, white shirts, and dark ties only varied by the presence of eyewear.
Compliance. Work the hours. Do what we say. Ask the boss. Don’t question. Fit in.
As a manager today, you’re equipped with numerous tools to enforce similar compliance. Credentials logs, keystroke monitoring, slack statuses, mandatory 9:00 am Zoom meetings—it’s all trackable.
Throw them away. Disable them. They’re the enemy of hiring and leading great teams.
Because what you need today are adults. Individuals who assume responsibility, make decisions, show up, contribute, communicate proactively, troubleshoot issues, respect their peers, voice disagreements, defend their convictions, and manage the integration of work and home life.
A high-performing team calls for such adults. And your recruitment process must be fine-tuned to identify them.
