Confessions of a Reformed Control Freak
The Top Ten Sins Most Managers Make & How to Avoid Them
B.R. Smith
_
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2011 by Brian Smith
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any printed or electronic form without written permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For more information or to order additional copies visit our web site at: http://www.briansmithpld.com or contact the author directly at briansmithpld@gmail.com
This publication is designed to provide competent and reliable information regarding the subject matter covered. However, it is sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering legal or other professional advice. While the author has made every effort to provide internet addresses at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibilities for errors, or for changes that occur after publication. Further, the publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third party websites or their content. The author and publisher specifically disclaim any liability that is incurred for the use of or application of the contents of this book.
Second Edition: Confessions of a Reformed Control Freak The Top Ten Sins Most Managers Make & How to Avoid Them -- Brian Smith
Cover Photograph by: Josh Jefferies -- http://www.joshjefferies.com
_
Dedicated to Linda and my son Bradley.
You both have been with me from the very beginning. Like some journeys -- I know it has not been easy at times. But, you hung in there with me and I will always be grateful for your love, friendship and support.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MANAGERS VS. LEADERS -- THE DEBATE CONTINUES
CONFESSION NUMBER ONE: There is No Such Thing as Common Sense
You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks
CONFESSION NUMBER TWO: You Can’t Motivate People
Motivation -- It’s All in the WIIFM’s
Can’t and Won’t -- Do’s and Don’ts
Goal-Setting for Performance Improvement
CONFESSION NUMBER THREE: You Ruin Good People by Promoting Them
Sometimes a Sow’s Ear is Just That
Put Your Strengths to Work for You
Confession Number Three Review
CONFESSION NUMBER FOUR: You Don’t Have to Know Everything
You Are Whoever You Think You Are
CONFESSION NUMBER FIVE: You’re Not The Most Important Person In The Conversation
The Art of Effective Communication
Active Listening -- It’s Tougher Than You Think
CONFESSION NUMBER SIX: Park Your Ego at the Door; It’s Not About Being Right
Managers -- I Mean Really -- Who Needs Em?
Building Collaborative Work Teams
CONFESSION NUMBER SEVEN: You Can’t Control Everything All of the Time
It’s Called Delegation for a Reason
Confession Number Seven Review
CONFESSION NUMBER EIGHT: You Can’t Demand Respect; Respect is Reciprocal
Life is a Circle -- You Get as Good as You Give
Building Relationships to Last
Confession Number Eight Review
CONFESSION NUMBER NINE: People Hear What They See; Not What You Say
You Are Whoever They Think You Are
CONFESSION NUMBER TEN: There Aren’t Any Negatives; Everything is Positive
Is Your Cup Half-Full or Half-Empty?
Nobody’s Perfect -- So Get Over It
INTRODUCTION
Yes, I admit it. Just like the book’s title suggests -- I was once a control freak. I was an “old school” micro-manager! But the good news is I’ve seen the errors of my ways and I’m here to confess my sins. I’ve written this book with the hope first time team leaders, supervisors and managers might gain some valuable insight into what it will take to be an effective and efficient 21st Century Manager.
I also think there’s a lesson here for those seasoned veterans who developed their management style in the 1960’s embracing what social psychologist Douglas McGregor referred to as Theory X style of management. Theory X style of management suggested that people were inherently lazy and needed to be bullied or brow-beaten into performing their work.
There may also be some hold-outs who graduated from the “Chainsaw Al Leadership Academy”, named after legendary and somewhat ruthless corporate executive Al Dunlap who slashed and burned his way to profitability. He was known for turning companies around. And no one can deny that he got results. But, he did it by sacrificing thousands of employees. (I use to say that the most cost effective way to increase productivity was to walk out of your office and fire the first person you see and don’t replace him or her. It’s amazing how the work still gets done.)
Times have certainly changed. What you need to decide now is -- will the management style that got you here -- be the same style that will sustain you or get you to where you want to go? Are you promotable? Would you work for you?
I think there’s been a dramatic shift in people’s attitudes. Their wants and needs are changing. For the first time in our lifetime there are four different generations working in the same work place that communicate differently, manage and want to be managed differently, and have different values and career aspirations. For the newest generation -- The Millennials or Net Generation -- life outside of work is just as important as life at work.
I believe we’re not born knowing how to manage or lead people effectively. It’s a learned behaviour. We all start out making certain assumptions based on our past experiences and perceptions as to the kind of role we think managers and leaders should play. But we also have come to know from experience that our perceptions may not always be correct, and that sometimes, we have to change our way of thinking if we are to become better at what we do. Today’s managers need to change the way they manage to stay in step with a changing workforce.
Worth Remembering...
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing -- expecting a different result.” - Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Daniel Goleman, in his groundbreaking book Working With Emotional Intelligence, might have said it best: “We are being judged by a new yardstick: not just how smart we are, or by our training and expertise, but also by how well we handle ourselves and each other.”
Productivity is still the name of the game and that will never change. Your job as a manager has always been to minimize the input and maximize the output. But downsizing has put added pressure on managers to hold the line on the expense side of the ledger while still growing the profit side. In order to accomplish both managers must change from being task-focused to being people-focused.
I’ve spent a lifetime working with and managing people as an award winning entrepreneur and a general manager for one of Canada’s best run and most profitable companies and now as Founder/CEO of Brinley Consulting & Training Ltd. -- a training and management consulting firm based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
I have -- and continue to have at the writing of this book -- the good fortune of being a member of the faculty of Algonquin College’s School of Business where I teach business ethics, management functions, entrepreneurship, and personal skills for success. I get a kick out of working with young people who want to be their own boss or manage a company some day. I get to bring the corporate world into the classroom. Textbook theory is great but, it’s just that -- theory. The challenge is learning how to apply it in the real world.
In my 40+ year career of managing and owning businesses I’ve committed my fair share of sins. Trust me -- I’ve been there, done that, and have the t-shirt to prove it. I consider myself a card carrying graduate of the “School of Hard Knocks”. To some extent, the writing of this book has been cathartic for me. There is no question that if I knew then what I know now, I would have managed differently.
“The Top Ten Sins Most Managers Make & How to Avoid Them” are woven into the ten chapters of this book. Each chapter is dedicated to one of those sins. And yes -- I’ve committed each one of them at one time or another. So I know from my own experiences what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to communicating and interacting with people at all levels throughout the organization. After all, think of a job that you could do in your lifetime that didn’t involve dealing with people. (There isn’t one.)
Our business schools are graduating students who are technically competent at what they do. They know what they know and they know it very well. However, the one skill -- and I believe the most valuable skill -- which we aren’t teaching our students -- is how to communicate and interact effectively with people.
We are not teaching the one skill that all managers and leaders must have to be successful managing in the 21st Century -- the ability to work with and accomplish goals through people. Manager’s managing in the 21st Century need to understand that “One Management Style” does not fit all. Managers need to learn how to modify their management style to be more in “tune” with the person they are working with. We must not let hi-tech replace hi-touch.
Take Note: As you read through this book please keep in mind that I have a tendency to repeat over and over and over again -- those things that I believe are important. Managers must be able to do three things very well. They must be able to communicate, educate and delegate. This book will teach you how.
I wish you nothing but success in all of your endeavours both personal and professional. Stay Focused.
- Brian Smith
Worth Remembering...
“One of the most important things about being a good manager is to rule with a heart. You have to know the business, but you also have to know what’s at the heart of business and that’s people.” - Oprah Winfrey (b. 1954-)
Worth Remembering...
“In everyone’s life, at some point, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into a flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle our inner spirit.” - Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965)
Thank you, Annie, for rekindling my inner spirit.
MANAGERS VS. LEADERS -- THE DEBATE CONTINUES
“Think of leadership as management practiced well.”
Worth Remembering...
“For all the fashionable hype about leadership, it is unfashionable management that is being practiced and its fundamental characteristics have not changed.” - Hales (1929-2010)
A half-century ago Peter F. Drucker -- who is considered to be the most influential management thinkers of all time -- brought the practice of management to the forefront; and other notables have been trying to ‘one-up’ him ever since. The debate will continue long after you have finished reading this book. But I wanted to take this opportunity to state my position on the subject. I’ve spent 40+ years managing and leading people, and based on my experiences I believe the two: managers and leaders, have more in common with one another -- than not. They are mutually inclusive of one another -- not mutually exclusive of one another, in spite of what some leadership experts would have us believe. The lines between the two are definitely blurred -- if not disappearing all together.
Warren Bennis -- a renowned leadership expert (and Professor and Founding Chairman of the Leadership Institute at the University of Southern California) -- cites integrity, dedication, magnanimity, humility, openness and creativity as the six qualities of a leader. Henry Kissinger (who served as National Security Advisor and later as Secretary of State in the administrations of USA President’s Nixon and Ford) said that the task of a leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been.
Walter Bond -- a former NBA player who is considered to be one of the World’s preeminent experts on personal accountability -- refers to micro-management as one of the most common forms of leadership.
Now, who am I to disagree with the likes of a Bennis, Kissinger or Bond? After all this is my first book on the subject -- collectively they have written some of the most respected books on leadership. But it seems to me they could have just as easily been talking about the attributes of a manager as opposed to a leader. I know we can separate managing and leading conceptually -- but in practical terms -- should they be, or can they be, separated at all? How would you like to be managed by someone who doesn’t know how to lead? How would you like to be lead by someone who doesn’t know how to manage themselves or others?
Do we manage more then we lead or lead more then we manage? Is there really that much of a difference between the two to even bother trying to justify one over the other? I think 21st Century Managers need to be able to do both well. I talk about the two of them throughout this book as if those two titles are interchangeable -- I don’t think you can be one without being the other and vice-versa. The role of Manager and Leader is situtationally based. You have to ensure that the day-to-day things that need to get done to make the organization work are being done (that’s managing). But you also need to spend some of your time thinking about where the organization needs to go to stay competitive and to maintain or grow your market share (that’s leading).
To be successful, Managers and Leaders need to be able to communicate, educate and delegate effectively if they are going to manage the day-to-day operations of the organization, or implement the changes necessary to take the organization to where it needs to go. And ... in order to do either of those jobs well, they need a variety of skills.
Managers and Leaders need to be able to:
* Problem solve and resolve conflict
* Build collaborative teams
* Teach and mentor
* Communicate and listen
* Plan and forward think.
* Be patient, empathetic, flexible and open-minded. (I could go on but you get my point.)
Worth Remembering...
“Leadership cannot simply delegate management; instead of distinguishing managers from leaders, we should be seeing managers as leaders, and leadership as management practiced well” - Henry Mintzberg (b. 1939-)
I’m with Henry on this one. Forget about being a leader -- practice managing well and people will want to follow you. You may be given the title of manager, or people may refer to you as their leader, but if no one is buying into what you are saying or taking you seriously -- then it really doesn’t matter what title you have.
CONFESSION NUMBER ONE
There is No Such Thing as Common Sense
Worth Remembering...
“Common Sense is the best distributed commodity in the world, for every man is convinced that he is well supplied with it.” - René Descartes (1596-1650)
Don’t rely on common sense as part of your training program. If you haven’t taught someone how to complete the task the way you want it done, then don’t assume they know how. Remember -- common sense is not common practice.
Your role as a supervisor, department head or manager is to teach your people what they need to know to be able to do the job you’ve hired them to do. All too often we make the mistake of assuming a person’s level of knowledge matches our own. (Especially if they have been working for the organization a number of years.) To our minds, common sense makes perfect sense. However, that’s not always the case.
In this chapter we’ll dispel some of the myths surrounding common sense (Common Sense Revisited) and give you some valuable insights into how adults like to learn (You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks). Adults can learn new things given the right set of circumstances in an environment that is conducive to learning. But, we all don’t learn the same way. One teaching style -- like one management style -- does not fit all.
*
“Students will never learn if the teacher doesn’t teach.”
Worth Remembering...
“We seldom attribute common sense except to those who agree with us.” - François La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680)
Have you ever asked yourself where common sense comes from? How do we get it? Are we just born with it? Why do some people seem to have more of it than others? If something makes perfectly good sense to you, shouldn’t it make perfectly good sense to everyone else? I’ve been doing some research on the subject and here’s what I’ve discovered so far. I’ve discovered that the only thing common about common sense is that it’s not very prevalent in most people.
Common sense is not common practice. What makes perfect sense to you will most likely not make perfect sense to everyone else. I’m not sure who first coined the phrase “there is no such thing as common sense”, but the more I observe the people around me and witness the strange things they do, the more I’m convinced the saying is true.
I think it was Michael Dillon who defined common sense as “a rather uncommon ability to do the right thing without a lot of forethought; a close connection to deep intuition.” A participant in a recent workshop of mine suggested that common sense was the lowest common denominator of beliefs thought to be common in most people.
Common sense is sometimes referred to as “horse sense”. Horse sense is our ability to look at things in a straightforward, logical fashion. (That might be easy for Spock to do, but it can be a challenge for us mere mortals.)
The amount of common sense we have seems to be proportionate to the amount of life experiences we’ve had. We should call it “life sense” instead of common sense because it just seems to me that the older we get, the smarter we get. (Been there -- done that -- I won’t do that again!)
Worth Remembering...
“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But by the time I turned twenty-one, I was amazed at how much he had learned in seven years.” - Mark Twain (1835-1910)
I believe we are born with a blank slate. From the moment of our birth until the moment that we die, we increase our level of common sense through the people we meet, the books we read, and the things we see and do.
For the most part, we adults like to learn as we go along. We learn from our past experiences -- having been there and done that. (Some people, though, are slow learners and they have to experience the same thing a few times before they finally catch on.) Some people learn by trial and error. They learn by doing, refining what they’ve done, and then they do it again until they are satisfied with the result.
Here’s a question for you: Have you ever been guilty of using common sense as part of your training program?
Do any of these sound familiar: “How long have they worked here? You’d figure after five years they would have learned that by now!” Or how about this: “If they had any common sense at all, they never would have tried to do it that way in the first place.”
I’m sure most of us have been guilty of using the “common sense” rationale to try and cover up the fact that we failed to give proper instruction and guidance. I know I’ve used that excuse on more than one occasion. But if you really think about it logically like Spock would, you’d come to the conclusion that people aren’t born knowing what they need to know.
The best that you can hope for is that you hire people who are capable of learning.
As managers, we sometimes make assumptions based on what we think a person knows. We figure because we know, they should know.
We surmise that, because they have worked in one place for a number of years, they must have learned how to do their job by now. The bottom line is: if you haven’t taught someone how to complete a task the way you want it done, then don’t assume they know how to do it. It’s very rare that we get to hire employees who are fully trained for the job we’ve hired them to do. Even someone from within the company who has been transferred from another location needs to be brought up to speed on how you do things at your branch. New employee orientation programs shouldn’t be just for your recent hires.
Managers need to think of themselves as “Enablers”
It’s the manager’s job to give their people the tools they’ll need to be successful, and then to get out of their way and let them do it.
Common Sense Revisited:
* Remember: There is no such thing as common sense. Common sense is not necessarily common practice.
* People aren’t born with common sense, but most people are born with the ability to learn it. (Just remember that there are slow learners out there, so be patient.)
* Common sense is an acquired skill. Through observation, proper instruction and practice, people can become competent over time. (Notice I didn’t say “will”. That’s open for debate.)
* Ask yourself: Do I hire stupid people or do they just get stupid after working for me?
* Remember: Your role as manager is to teach someone else what you know.
* You are an enabler. Give them all the tools they will need to be successful, and then get out of their way and let them do it.
The rest of this chapter is dedicated to giving you some valuable insights into how adults like to learn and the steps you need to take to ensure the lessons you are trying to teach have been received. In order to teach someone what you know you need to be able to create an environment that is conducive to learning. Everyone has the ability to learn. It depends on how receptive they are to how they are being taught.
Worth Remembering...
“Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.” - Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)
*
You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks
“Adults will learn when conditions are right.”
Worth Remembering...
“You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink it. The trick is, find out how to make him thirsty.” - Author Unknown
Supervisors, managers, and leaders will be judged not by what they know, but by their ability to teach someone else. But trust me -- teaching someone else what you know isn’t easy. If that was the case, superstar athletes would go on to have superstar coaching careers after their playing days were over. And we know, in most cases -- that just doesn’t happen.
Answer this: If you understood how I like to receive and process information and how I prefer to be taught, and if you applied what you know about my learning preferences, would it make the teaching experience more enjoyable for you and for me? Would I be more receptive to what you were saying and therefore more likely to try? We both know the answer would probably be a resounding yes!
Warning: Reading the following section on Adult Learning Styles and Adult Learning Preferences may cause drowsiness. If you are suffering from sleeplessness this could be just what the Doctor ordered. Caution -- Read at your own risk.
Now, I don’t want to come off sounding too clinical here. I’m not an academic by any stretch of the imagination even though I teach at a business college and hold a teaching certificate. But I think it’s important to have a basic understanding of how adults like to learn.
We are going to explore the works of two prominent experts in the field of adult learning:
Dr. David Kolb, an educational theorist who believes that people learn best from experience (Experiential learning) and Malcolm Knowles, a pioneer in the study of adult learning (The five step learning process).
Remember: even older people like me can learn new things. And if you understand how I like to learn and you apply that understanding, we just might surprise you.
People develop learning preferences much in the same way they develop their own negotiating, management, and leadership styles.
Dr. David Kolb theorized that people develop preferences for different learning styles in the same way that they develop their negotiating, management, and leadership styles. In layman terms, Kolb believes adults learn quicker if they can relate what is being taught to past personal experiences. Kolb’s experiential learning model is built around the idea that learning preferences can be described using two continuums: an active experimentation/reflective observation continuum, and an abstract conceptualization/concrete experience continuum. These two continuums produce four different learning styles or four types of learners.
I’m a behaviorist by training and believe we develop a certain style of behaving by the time we are five years old and generally speaking we “fit” into one of these four styles. (We’ll talk more about that in Chapter Three when we discuss DISC Theory and putting your strengths to work for you.) Dr. Kolb found that the four combinations of perceiving (how we see things) and processing (how we evaluate what we see) determine our learning style.
Which learning style sounds more like you?
1. Converger -- active experimentation -- abstract conceptualization: you’re a doer and thinker who likes to find solutions to problems and experiment with new ideas.
2. Accommodator -- active experimentation -- concrete experience: you’re a doer and feeler, taking a more “hands-on”, collegial approach to problem-solving.
3. Assimilator -- reflective observation -- abstract conceptualization: you’re a watcher and thinker. If it makes logical sense, you’ll do it.
4. Diverger -- reflective observation -- concrete experience: you’re a feeler and a watcher. You can look at things from different angles, the more ideas the merrier.
Learning Preferences:
Convergers, Accommodators, Assimilators, Divergers: Is there a key here? Can you use this information to create an environment that is conducive to learning based on a person’s learning style? Take a moment and review the learning preferences of each style and think of how you could structure your teaching to be more in tune with how each style likes to learn.
Convergers -- like to apply information in practical ways. They focus on specific problems and prefer to work with “things” rather than people.
Accommodators -- are always ready to try something new and like to step outside their comfort zone. Accommodators are risk-takers who live by a flexible plan. They enjoy people, change, and a fast-paced job.
Assimilators -- excel with theoretical situations and inductive reasoning. They like to draw conclusions from known facts and then put that theory into practice. However, they prefer to work alone.
Divergers -- are imaginative and complex thinkers who enjoy brainstorming while problem-solving. They enjoy people, make friends easily, and most likely have broad cultural interests.
According to Dr. Kolb, the learning cycle involves four processes that must be present before learning takes place:
1. Concrete experience -- relating it to past experiences, good or bad
2. Observation and reflection on that experience -- was it good or bad?
3. Formation of abstract concepts based on reflection -- what to do or not do
4. Testing the new concepts -- try it and see what happens
Worth Remembering...
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” - Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
What is your learning preference? If you are interested in discovering your own learning style, I recommend that you score a Kolb Learning Style Inventory (KLS Inventory). The inventory is available exclusively through the Hay Group Transforming Learning at http://www.haygroup.com. I scored a KLS Inventory and discovered that my primary learning modes involve -- Active Experimentation and Concrete Experience. I use an Accommodating style. I tend to accommodate, or adapt to, changing circumstances and information.
Understanding your learning style and the strengths and weaknesses inherent in that style will help you increase your learning power to get the most from your learning experiences and it also lets you appreciate the different learning styles and what you need to do to teach someone who has a different style than yours.
Adults can learn new things given the right set of circumstances and in an environment that they believe is conducive to learning.
Malcolm Knowles, an influential contemporary figure in adult education, observed that adults can learn new things when:
1. They understand why something is important to know or do.
2. They have the freedom to learn in their own way.
3. Learning is experiential.
4. The time is right for them to learn.
5. The process is positive and encouraging.
As I stated earlier, adults can learn new things -- given the right set of circumstances and in an environment that is conducive to learning. Think of ways that you could apply Knowles’s five principles of adult learning to create that learning environment.
1. Adults learn when they understand why something is important to know or do. Make sure everyone understands the “why” in what you are trying to teach them. They may not agree, but they need to know your reasoning, and it can’t be just because you said so. You are working with adults here, not children. (Although, I don’t think saying “because I said so” to a child works very well either -- at least not in my world.)
It’s important to note here that today’s students are encouraged to ask the teacher why. They are taught to challenge traditional thinking. So you’d better take the time to explain “why” they need to know “what” you are trying to teach them and “what” the consequence(s) will be if the “why” isn’t achieved.
2. Adults learn when they have the freedom to learn in their own way. Think back to Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory and apply it here. Try and incorporate all of the senses in your approach to ensure that learning has taken place. Remember that visual learners rely on pictures, auditory learners listen to what is being said, and kinesthetic learners need to physically do something to fully understand what it is you are trying to teach them. Try not to get too caught up on the process though -- results are what matter most. And keep in mind that adults like to put their own spin on the “how”.
3. Learning is experiential. Adults like to relate or link new knowledge to past experiences. Any activity that gets your learner involved makes the learning experiential. Group discussions, role playing, building something -- any activity at all will work. Activities are also a great way to keep people energized and engaged, especially activities that involve getting up and moving around. Make ice-breakers and lid-openers part of your teacher’s tool kit.
4. The time is right for them to learn. There is an old Buddhist saying: “When the Student is ready, the Teacher will appear.” Adults like to learn in their own time. And what they learn must be relevant and applicable to them. Adults, for the most part, only want to know what they need to know and only when they need to know it. They aren’t looking to stockpile information on the chance that they might need to know it in the future. (Children are sponges who crave knowledge while adults like to pick and choose when, what, and where they learn.)
5. The process is positive and encouraging. As a teacher you are trying to get people to step out of their comfort zone into the growth zone. Be ever mindful of the fact that they are most likely trying something for the very first time. They are going to make mistakes. They need to know that you aren’t going to zap them when they do. They need to know that they can trust you, that you won’t belittle them in front of their peers. And they need to know that they can ask you any question -- no matter how trivial you might think it is -- and you’ll answer it without sarcasm. You need to have patience in spades because some people learn quicker than others.
Be their biggest fan! Cheer them on with each small victory by praising their performance and giving them words of encouragement. If you truly want them to be successful, then your praise and words of encouragement will sound sincere. Adults can tell when you’re being condescending and insincere. They don’t like to be patronized.
Everything we choose to do alters our brain and it fundamentally changes who we are, a process that continues until we die. The human brain has the ability to reprogram itself. However, if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.
This section would not be complete without writing about the work of Dr. Richard Restak. The doctor is a neurologist, neuropsychiatrist, and clinical professor of neurology at George Washington University Medical Center. He wrote a fascinating book entitled Mozart’s Brain and the Fighter Pilot: Unleashing Your Brain’s Potential, first published in 2001.
Dr. Restak’s book isn’t so much about how adults like to learn but rather that adults can learn.
It’s been scientifically proven that most adults do have the brain capacity to learn. (I say most adults because there’s always an exception to the rule. As the saying goes, “some dogs just can’t hunt”.)
We all understand that the more you exercise right, eat right and sleep right, the healthier your body becomes. And the healthier your body becomes, the better you feel. And the better you feel, the more equipped you are to handle the daily stressors in your life. The same thing holds true for your brain. According to Restak, the more you exercise your brain, the better it performs; and when it performs better, we feel better. Restak goes on to point out that there is one exception between your body and your brain that is worth noting. Your body does begin to break down over time. A 60-year-old body, no matter how fit, can’t do some of the physical things a 20-year-old body can. (I can relate to that.) The good news is that your brain is different. All of the new research on the brain suggests that no matter how old you are, it’s never too late to change your brain for the better. Your brain doesn’t break down over time; it just keeps getting brainier! The brain has a lifetime capacity for learning new things.
The choices we make throughout our lives play a part in altering the fundamental nature of our brain. Whenever we undertake new interests and activities, we form new networks in our brain. And with those new networks come more receptors for the brain’s chemical messengers. New circuits are forming all the time, depending on our levels of mental activity or inactivity. Cognitive learning theorizes that we can boost our brain’s cognitive performance by increasing alertness, concentration, memory, problem-solving ability, mental endurance, and much more.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that if we don’t use it, we lose it.
Just like a plant, if we don’t keep watering and nurturing it, it will shrivel up and die. The point I’m trying to make here is what I’ve always believed: that if someone has the mental and physical capacity to perform a job or complete a task, then it is up to the supervisor or manager to teach that person how. Whether or not your staff are motivated enough to want to perform the job or complete the task is something entirely different. (We’ll talk about motivation or the lack thereof in Chapter Two.)
I hope you’re up for the challenge. To my mind, there is nothing more rewarding than teaching someone else what you know and seeing the light-bulb come on. For me, it’s the feeling I get when I see the penny click and their eyes light up. It’s that Ah-Ha Moment.
Worth Remembering...
“Experience is never limited, and it is never complete; it is an immense sensibility, a kind of huge spider-web ... suspended in the chamber of consciousness, and catching every air-borne particle in its tissue.” - Henry James (1843-1916)
*
* Don’t rely on common sense as part of your training program.
* People aren’t born knowing what they need to know.
* Common sense is “Life Sense”. It seems that the older we get the smarter we get. (We’ve been there, done that and have the t-shirt to prove it.)
* Managers need to think of themselves as enablers. (Provide the tools that your people will need to do the job you’ve hired them to do.)
* Adults can learn new things -- given the right set of circumstances and in an environment that is conducive to learning.
* Not everyone learns the same way. Discover how people like to learn and then use that understanding to teach them what they need to know.
* Most adults learn best by observing and doing.
* Incorporate Knowles Five Principles of Learning in your teaching style.
* Do you hire stupid people or do they just get stupid after working for you?
* Your job as a manager is to teach people what you know.
Worth Remembering...
“Intellectual capital is the sum of everything everybody in a company knows that gives it a competitive edge. Tap into the experience of an older generation.” - Thomas A. Stewart (b. 1948-)
CONFESSION NUMBER TWO
You Can’t Motivate People
Worth Remembering...
“If you don’t understand what makes people tick; they won’t tick.” - Robert Swan (b. 1956-)
You can’t motivate people to do anything they don’t want to do. However, what you can do is create an environment in which they will want to motivate themselves. If you know what they want -- and you have the power to grant it -- you can use that understanding to get them to do what you want.
Productivity is still the name of the game. Productivity has been, and will always be, how we measure and evaluate a manager’s effectiveness. This chapter will explain why people do what they do (The Secret of Motivation -- It’s all in the WIIFM’s) so that you can use that understanding to get your people to do what you need to get done -- even when they don’t really want to do it (Creating a Teachable Moment -- Can’t and Won’t -- Do’s and Don’ts).
Performance improvement usually doesn’t happen by chance -- it’s a planned event. Managers need to learn how to set SMART targets (Goal Setting for Performance Improvement).
*
Motivation -- It’s All in the WIIFM’s
“Motivation is inside out -- Not outside in.”
Worth Remembering...
“It is only when a person has their own generator that we can talk about motivation. He then needs no outside stimulation. He wants to do it.” - Frederick Herzberg (1923-2000)
How do I motivate my employees? That’s the question I get asked most often in my management training and leadership development workshops. The fact of the matter is, you can’t. People can only motivate themselves. People do things for their own reasons, not yours. But don’t give up! All is not lost. There is something you can do and that is to create an environment in which your employees will want to motivate themselves.
The first step in creating that kind of environment is having a clear understanding of what motivates people into taking action. It’s all about WIIFM’s (What’s In It For Me). I have come to believe that people are inherently self-serving and will only do something if they are somehow going to benefit from it. If they aren’t going to satisfy their WIIFM’s, then they won’t be motivated enough to put in the effort. Even people who volunteer their services for a good cause are getting some kind of WIIFM out of the exchange or they wouldn’t keep doing it. We volunteer our time or donate money to a cause that we believe in because it makes us feel good about ourselves and our choices. And feeling good about ourselves is the payoff; that’s the WIIFM. It’s what I call a 9-volt test.
Have you ever licked a 9-volt battery? When people do something that makes them feel good, what are they more apt to do? They are more apt to do it again. If you liked the sensation you got from licking that 9-volt battery, then you’re more likely to lick it again.
The key to motivating people is to figure out what their WIIFM is. Once you know that, you can use that understanding to get them to do what needs to be done. Unless you know what motivates them you stand little chance of getting their attention. Everyone can be motivated, I’m certain of that. But not everyone is motivated by the same thing. Some people are motivated by money. Some people are motivated by fancy job titles. For some, it’s that premier parking spot. For others, it’s that impressive corner office with a view. And according to Daniel Pink author of “Drive -- The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” for some it’s autonomy. Employees having complete autonomy over when, where and how they do their work motivates them.
The other thing to keep in mind about WIIFM’s is that WIIFM’s can change, as a person’s wants and needs change. That’s why it’s important to spend some time with your people and ask them about their short and long-term goals. What future role would they like to play in the organization? Some people are satisfied doing what they are doing, while others aspire to take on more responsibility. (We’ll discuss “Sustainers” and “Achievers” in Chapter Three.)
For the most part, annual employee reviews are a total waste of time. (Managers do it because they have to -- not because they want to.) The only worthwhile reason to do a review is to find out if your staff’s motivators have changed. If you aren’t asking these types of questions, then you are wasting your time and more importantly, you are wasting your staff’s time.
Worth Remembering...
“Get to know your people: what they do well, what they enjoy doing, what their weaknesses and strengths are, and what they want and need from their job.” - Robert Townsend (b. 1957-)
If you work hard to make sure your people get their WIIFM’s, they will be more inclined to help you get yours. If you have the power to grant someone their WIIFM’s, then more than likely you have the means to get their attention. Threatening or bullying people into doing something they don’t really want to do is counter-productive. You may win the battle -- but in the long run -- they will win the war. Eventually, when given the opportunity, they will find a way to sabotage you. (What goes around ... comes around.)
Maslow had it right all along.
Abraham Maslow first introduced his “needs” theory in a 1943 article published in the Psychological Review entitled, “A Theory of Human Motivation”. The basis of his theory was that all human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs. Lower needs, such as food and security, must be met before humans move on to satisfy higher needs, such as self-esteem and self-actualization.
Think of his hierarchy as a triangle or pyramid with five levels numbered 1 to 5, 5 being at the base of the pyramid and 1 being at the top. Physiological necessities such as air, water, food, and sleep form the base of the triangle, or Level 5. The next level up is safety -- job security, financial reserves, health, lodging, etc. The third level of the triangle denotes social needs (love, family, community), followed by Level 2’s esteem needs (self-confidence, respect from peers, social achievement and status).
At the very top of the triangle is self-actualization -- creativity, personal growth, wisdom. Before Level 1’s needs of self-actualization (becoming the best one can be) are to be satisfied, the needs that figure in each of the levels below it must be fulfilled first. If Maslow’s theory holds true, it provides a valuable tool for managers to use to help create an environment where people will want to motivate themselves.
Sitting at the Number 2 position near the very top of the triangle is esteem needs. These are basic to all of us -- the need to belong, the need to feel important, the need to be recognized and acknowledged. As a manager, you have to pay close attention to this level of Maslow’s hierarchy. Keep this in mind: People listen to one of two radio stations, either the FM dial -- WIIFM (What’s in it for me?) -- or the AM dial -- MMFIAM (Make me feel important and more). As a manager, you need to figure out which radio station they are listening to -- to get them to tune in to what you’re saying.
Maslow’s hierarchy and related WIIFM’s are more important than you might think. For the most part, unions don’t settle contracts for money; they settle for esteem needs. The rank and file want and need to be recognized. They want acknowledgment; they want their voices to be heard. That’s Maslow’s number two. If you can learn to speak the language of your employees, you might never have to worry about union demands ever again.
“Thank you for being patient”, “What can I do for you today?”, “I appreciate all your hard work”, “It’s great having you on our team!”, “I know you’re angry and upset and you have every right to be. If that happened to me I would be angry and upset, too. I am here to help you. What can I do to make it right?” These powerful statements let your staff know that they are appreciated -- that they are important and that you truly care about them.
Vroom’s Expectancy Theory
Canadian-born Victor Vroom is a Professor at the Yale School of Management. His main focus of research has been on the expectation theory of motivation. Vroom’s theory suggests that behaviour (our actions) is the result of conscious choices we make to maximize pleasure and minimize pain.
Think of it as the “what if” game. When you are confronted with having to make a decision on whether or not to complete a task or start a project, just ask yourself a series of “what if” questions. If I do this, what will happen? If I do that, what will happen? If I don’t do this, what’s the worst thing that can happen? If I don’t do that, how will it impact my world? Will the end result be a good thing or a bad thing? We tend to pick the lesser of two evils.
Vroom’s Expectancy Theory is based on three beliefs:
1. Valence: Valence refers to the level of satisfaction people expect to get from the outcome. This satisfaction is based on one’s personal values: extrinsic values such as money, promotion, more benefits, etc., or intrinsic values such as personal satisfaction on having done a job well.
2. Expectancy: Expectancy refers to how much an employee believes whether or not a particular outcome is attainable. Employees will be motivated to try a task if they believe they are capable of doing it. (Is it doable? Or am I wasting my time because there is no way I will be able to pull this off?)
3. Instrumentality: This refers to the perception of employees that if they put in the work and accomplish the goal, will they actually get what has been promised to them? (Can I trust management to do what they said they would do?) I’ll discuss how to establish trust in Chapter Eight.
Vroom’s theory suggests that an employee’s beliefs about expectancy, instrumentality, and valence interact on a psychological level, which then creates a motivational force. That motivational force induces an employee to act in ways that bring pleasure and avoid pain.
Worth Remembering...
“The common wisdom is that managers have to learn to motivate people. Nonsense -- Employees bring their own motivation.” - Tom Peters (b. 1942-)
I believe Alderfer, Hertzberg, and to some extent Vroom have all added their own twist to Maslow’s basic theory. No matter how you go about trying to explain motivation, the fact of the matter remains the same: Motivation, in the end, is all about WIIFM’s. People will put in the time and do the work if, and only if, they are convinced that they are going to get the payoff. Motivation is inside out -- not outside in.
If I have to do this to get that -- and that is important to me -- then I will do this to get that. People are motivated to act in a certain way to get a certain result. The more you can make it about them and their needs, the more likely it is that they will be motivated enough to join in.
Case-in-point: I often have people approach me during a break in my workshops or after a speaking engagement to tell me that they are a different person at work than they are at home. I respond by suggesting to them that they are the same person; they’ve just come to realize that if they behave at home the way they behave at work, there’s no way they’d get their WIIFM’s at home. You must behave your way to success. You must act in a way that is going to get you what you want.
Ask yourself -- What do you want? What are you looking to accomplish? What are you prepared to do to get what you want? What’s a win-win look like? They win because they got their WIIFM and you win because you got yours.
The Motivation Equation
Need + Goal Directed Behaviour = WIIFM
Remember that people are motivated to act in a way that is going to get them what they want. Use that understanding to get what you want -- Staff that perform well and are as productive as they can be.
*
“You’re OK - It’s what you’re doing that isn’t.”
Worth Remembering...
“You cannot love an employee into creativity, although you can ... avoid his dissatisfactions with the way you treat him.” - Frederick Herzberg (1923-2000)
Words have the power to build people up or tear them down. One of the greatest compliments I have ever received as a manager was from an employee, right after I had disciplined her. It took her about 15 minutes after the fact before she realized what I had done. I was reminded of that situation recently when a reader wrote to me and asked me how to go about “calling attention to a person’s mistakes indirectly.”
Before I tell you how to create a teachable moment, I want to talk about the choice of words the reader used. Words are powerful. Words have the power to build people up or tear people down. I wanted my reader’s exchange to be a positive experience, both for him and for the person he needed to critique. The challenge for my reader was to “call attention to a person’s mistakes indirectly,” but at the same time, to have that person think of it as a positive experience and not a negative one. We need to choose the words we use wisely.
In my leadership development workshops, I talk with managers and team leaders about how they need to create teachable moments instead of providing constructive criticism.
Drawing attention to a person’s mistakes is not going to be received well. I don’t know of anyone who accepts constructive criticism very well. According to the Collins Concise Dictionary the word “construct” means to build and “criticism” means to pass judgement on someone. How can you build someone up while passing judgement on them?” (It makes you wonder if all the constructive criticism we get is contributing to the high rate of divorce in this country. But -- that’s another topic for another day.)
And while we’re still on the topic of words, I take exception to the word “discipline”. To me, the word has a negative connotation attached to it. The exchange between you and the person you’ll be communicating your concerns to needs to be a positive one. That’s why I prefer to think of the exchange as a teachable moment, rather than disciplining the employee for doing something wrong.
You have a choice to make. You can either dwell on the fact that your employee has made a mistake -- or you can get past that by accepting what is, is; what happened, happened. And move on from there. You don’t have to restate the obvious over and over again. The person knows s/he screwed up! That person doesn’t need the reminder.
I’ve had the good fortune in my career to work with some very bright and talented people; people that I admire and look up to, people who taught me some valuable lessons. Rick Nelles was one of those people. Rick taught me the value of accepting what is, is -- learning from it, and then getting on with the task at hand. I can still hear him saying: “Well what is, is. Now what did you learn from this? What are you going to stop doing, keep doing, and start doing?” Rick was a master at keeping both his composure and emotions in check. No matter how upset he got, he never let it show.
He felt it was counter-productive to what he wanted to achieve. The goal, after all, was to improve performance. It doesn’t do anyone any good by living in or bringing up the past. So in order to put yourself in a good space, don’t think of it as a “person’s mistakes”, but rather as an opportunity to create a teachable moment. It’s an opportunity for both of you to grow. You’ll grow as a teacher, and your employee will grow as a person by learning a new skill that will help him or her perform better in the future.
When working with people, it’s important to always be positive. You need to look at mistakes in a positive way. You need to create an environment where it’s OK to make mistakes. That’s the only way people grow.
Worth Remembering...
“Sandwich every bit of criticism between two layers of praise.” - Mary Kay Ash (1918-2001)
The next time you have an opportunity to create a teachable moment try using the “Sandwich Technique”. It’s a great way to keep your emotions in check and to turn the situation into a positive one for both you and the learner. Picture a sandwich that has two slices of bread: multi-grain with some lean roast beef and Dijon mustard in-between. (If you’re going to eat this sandwich, it might as well be a healthy and tasty one!)
Before you start making your sandwich, you need to decide where the best spot would be to have your “teachable moment”. The location will depend on what it is you are trying to teach. Is it technical or theory-based?
Technical-based learning is more hands-on/skill-based learning; teaching someone how to operate a piece of equipment or machine, for example. This type of learning works best on the shop floor if you are going to demonstrate proper operating procedures.
Theory-based learning has a more educational focus, such as teaching someone how to read and interpret a sales report. A classroom environment works best for theory-based learning because there is less noise, not as many interruptions or distractions, and it’s a venue in which you can give your undivided attention to the learner.
Once you have decided on the proper learning environment, follow this simple recipe.
Your First Step: Start the conversation off by saying something positive about the person. (You can talk about the years of experience that person might have that are invaluable to the department or organization, how that individual has contributed to the team’s overall success, that kind of thing.) The first slice of bread is used to separate the person from the act. It’s important to take the emotion out of the exchange. Keep in mind that the person is OK; it’s what s/he did that isn’t. You don’t want to change the individual; you just want to change what s/he is doing. Be sure to eliminate any barriers between you and the other person. Don’t sit behind your desk, set up two chairs opposite one another so that you can mirror the other persons body positioning.
Your Second Step: The roast beef in your sandwich is what you want to change. If the meat is rancid, it spoils the entire sandwich. Let the person know the impact their activity is having on the team, department, or organization. Let the person know that you want him or her to succeed, and that you are there to help. Get their feedback.