• NOT ALL DECISIONS CALL FOR PARTICIPATION. Decisions fall into three categories: independent decisions — those that managers make alone because either time or the nature of the decision precludes consulting others; person-to-person decisions — those managers make after consulting one direct report; and team decisions — those managers make after consulting all (or most) of their direct reports.

Growth-seeking managers don't spend their time in an endless round of committee meetings, searching for the golden mean that will make everyone happy and relieve them of the burden of decision. In fact, they call all (or most) of their direct reports together only when the matter under discussion affects all of them and can best be settled by getting multiple viewpoints. Even then the consultation is precisely that: a consultation. The group meets not to take a vote, but to express ideas and contribute information.

The final decision is always the manager's. No matter how much he/she seeks out others' ideas, the weight of the decision is on the manager, and so is the accountability.

In the end, the managers are wholly answerable for whatever's decided. When they practice participative management, they do so to improve the quality and acceptability of their decisions, not to pass the buck.

• NOT EVERY DIRECT REPORT WANTS TO PARTICIPATE. Much of the literature on the subject makes it seem as if everyone is eagerly panting after the opportunity to sit down with the boss and "tell it like it is." This is hogwash. Quite a few direct reports (the number varies from company to company) want nothing to do with participation. Quite a few others prefer game playing to participation.

For example, security-seeking direct reports usually want to be left alone; they feel threatened when asked to "participate." If forced to do so, they usually freeze up and contribute practically nothing. Acceptance-seeking direct reports, on the other hand, usually seem fervent about participation, but what they call "participation" is really a gabfest in which they mostly socialize with one another.