Ever since I read The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, I've been toying with the concept of the role of manager as permission giver.

On pages 223 through 230 Gladwell talks about "Tipping People" - or permission givers. He uses very negative examples such as committing suicide and adopting smoking (as a teenager) but the concept can be applied positively too. People can tip the balance and cause a cascade of behavioral change through leading by example or giving permission. A line manager can act as this tipping person to change both the behavior of his staff but also the performance of his organization. The manager can change the culture by giving permission to change it.

Manager: Quality is poor! You should start code reviews before check-in
Developer: But we have no time to do code reviews!
Manager: I give you permission to take the time to do code reviews. Please start them.

Manager: Scaling this project is difficult. It takes too long to bring new people up-to-speed. You should produce design documents.
Developer: But we have no time to do designs!
Manager: I give you permission to take the time to do designs.

Manager: The design documents and finished code do not match. You should do design and code reviews.
Developer: But we have no time to do reviews and keep documentation in sync!
Manager: I will get you a tool which keep the code and design in sync. I give you permission to use the tool to the fullest of its capabilities. I give you permission to take the time to learn the tool and I further give you permission to take the time to perform reviews to insure that it is happening.

...and so on.

One big caveat to this "manager as permission giver", is the idea that the line manager must have gained the right to give permission from more senior management. The more senior managers may not be "permission givers" themselves and hence, in order to change behavior, the line manager may need to pre-emptively up-manage the situation. I recommend doing this by painting the current reality, [In TOC language - the CRT or current reality tree], and then by showing a vision of the future reality [the FRT - or future reality tree] and then by presenting a series of actions to change the CRT to the FRT. It is important to get buy-off on this process and to ask that, whilst the change is happening, senior management does not interfere. Change always causes initial chaos. Things always get worse before they get better. In "Agile Management..." I refer to this as the J-Curve effect. Giving permission isn't a magic cure but it is a good way to change a culture and to re-invent the mental model of the management in the minds of the developers doing the real work.

[If Phil Bradley is reading this - don't worry Phil I bought a new copy of the book :-)]