Is the boss's idea always the right idea?

I just got a phone call from a friend who was very frustrated at a specific situation that occurred at his work place. A problem occurred and the “boss” pulled the team together and mandated that everyone on the team come in on a Saturday (which is not a normal work day) to help fix the problem.

The staff as a whole was very frustrated by this. For a number of reasons.

For one, they don’t think the idea is a good idea. And unfortunately, the boss isn’t open to hearing it. (They all feel like the idea is more of a band-aid solution to a problem that needs to be addressed down to the core...)

Secondly, for them to come in on Saturday and help “fix” the problem will require almost all of them to rearrange their busy schedules (spending time w/ family, etc…). But to tell you the truth, I don't think this is really the problem.

So what is the problem?

First of all, sometimes problems do occur and it does require the team to pull together and fix it. BUT, is the best solution always the boss’s solution? Not necessarily.

Why not pull the team together, present the problem and ask the team to collectively come up with a solution? I guarantee you that if they pull together as a team and come up with a solution TOGETHER, there will be a much higher degree of “buy in” and the staff will take a great deal of ownership of the idea. And if true ownership occurs, and the team believes in what they are doing - they'll more than likely do whatever they have to do to make it happen, even if it means adjusting their schedules and working all night or on a Saturday or even perhaps a holiday.

IF the only solution is the boss’s idea, then the boss sure as heck better be able to sell his idea to the team and get them on board. And most of the time this can only happen if the boss is willing to help journey the team to the conclusion that he/she has come to.

What do you think?