ABSTRACT
Like Professor Higgins, most managers unintentionally treat their subordinates in a way that leads to less-than-desirable performance. The way managers treat their subordinates is subtly influenced by what they expect of them. If a manager's expectations are high, productivity is likely to be high. If their expectations are low, productivity is likely to be low. It is as though there is a law that causes a subordinate's performance to rise or fall to meet the manager's expectations. Integral to the success of delegation is the development of employees' self-esteem. The availability of self-esteem as a motivator is a recent phenomenon. In the 1930s, the issue was irrelevant. Managers tend to think the lower needs are more important to their employees. The first delegation request motivates but does so only through fear of reprimand with an implied sense of failure. The second request accomplishes motivation with an appeal to a sense of accomplishment and belonging to the group.
