Can you pass the Jimmy Buffett test?

Many businesses have begun to realize a rebound from the worst of the economic downturn, but employees are still at least a little on edge about the stability of the economy and the security  of their jobs. Robert Sutton, a professor of management science and engineering at Stanford University, and the author of “Good Boss, Bad Boss,” says the best managers instill predictability during scary times and make things “Sesame Street simple.”

“Simplicity, clarity and repeatable steps can reduce  the burdens on people, promote performance and save money,” he says.

The hazard to this is that workers start believing that every challenge has a clear and simple solution. “It is impossible to be a leader without facing stretches where you and your followers are overwhelmed with the complexity  and uncertainty of it all,” Sutton says. “When this happens, to maintain everyone’s spirits, keep them moving forward and to sustain collective stamina, sometimes it’s best to embrace  the mess — at least for a while.”

He likes the Jimmy Buffet song lyric, “Some things are still a mystery to me, while others are much too clear.” Sutton says when he thinks about the best bosses he’s studied  over the years, they pass what he calls the Jimmy Buffett test: When it is clear what must be done, they make sure the right people do the right things as fast as possible. But when it’s unclear  what to do, they design the work and create a mindset well-suited to muddling forward through the mess until the answers eventually become clear.

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