| Here are ten tips that tell you what to do if | | | | inconsistently. In other words, look for |
| you want to become a great boss. I've added a | | | | opportunities to praise behavior or |
| couple of bonus tips, as well. | | | | performance, but don't praise every good |
| | | | thing you see. |
| Manage behavior and performance. Behavior is | | | | |
| what people say and do. Performance is the | | | | Negative consequences (like punishment) |
| measurable result of work. Forget about | | | | encourage people to stop or avoid doing |
| managing attitude. Forget about motivating | | | | something. Negative consequences should be |
| others. Instead, use what you say and do to | | | | delivered consistently. In other words, if |
| influence the behavior and performance of the | | | | you tell a subordinate that a certain |
| people who work for you. | | | | behavior or performance level will result in |
| | | | a negative consequence, make sure you deliver |
| Set clear expectations. Your people can't do | | | | the consequence if it's justified. |
| what you want if they're not clear about what | | | | |
| you want. Learn to give good directions. | | | | Be fair. People perceive a workplace to be |
| Check for understanding. | | | | fair when consequences and performance match |
| | | | up. A trainee of mine once put this is |
| Set reasonable expectations. Ideally, you | | | | quasi-Biblical terms: "The just should be |
| want to set goals that force people to | | | | rewarded and the unjust should be punished in |
| stretch just a little bit, but that are still | | | | accordance with their deeds." |
| within their grasp. Try to help your people | | | | |
| grow through a series of small wins. | | | | Give your people the maximum control possible |
| | | | over their work life. Let them make as many |
| Check on performance regularly. That's the | | | | basic decisions about their work life as is |
| only way you'll know how people are doing. | | | | reasonable and possible. So, what's |
| Check more frequently on people who are | | | | reasonable? |
| learning a task or who are doing it again | | | | |
| after a long layoff. Check less frequently on | | | | A worker who has the skill to do the job and |
| people who have demonstrated their competence | | | | who regularly pitches in to help (what we |
| in a task. | | | | call an engaged worker) can be trusted to |
| | | | make more work decisions than a less |
| Give helpful feedback. Do this in four steps. | | | | experienced or less engaged worker. Match |
| Describe the behavior in non-judgmental | | | | your willingness to grant freedom to the |
| terms. Describe the outcome of the behavior. | | | | worker's ability and willingness to do the |
| Pause and allow for subordinate reaction and | | | | job. |
| comment. Then determine how things will be | | | | |
| different the next time. | | | | Bonus Tip: Show up a lot. This is the single |
| | | | defining behavior of great supervisors. When |
| Keep things interesting. Workers won't stay | | | | you show up a lot you get to know your people |
| engaged unless they find their work | | | | and they get to know you. And every contact |
| interesting. Sometimes the work itself has | | | | is an opportunity for you to coach, counsel, |
| intrinsic interest. But, more often, the way | | | | encourage, and correct. |
| to keep people interested is to help them | | | | |
| keep learning and developing. | | | | Bonus Tip: Play the odds. You can't win them |
| | | | all in management or in life. But you can |
| Tell people why their work is important. | | | | follow this advice from the American writer |
| People want to be part of something that is | | | | Ring Lardner. "The race may not always be to |
| bigger than they are. Tell them how their | | | | the swift, nor victory to the strong, but |
| work contributes to the team and to team | | | | that's the way to bet." |
| success. Tell them how the performance of the | | | | |
| team contributes to the success of the | | | | There's good news and bad news here. Let's do |
| company or how it helps achieve a big goal. | | | | the bad news first. |
| | | | |
| Describe and deliver the consequences of | | | | You can't win them all. No matter how good a |
| performance. Consequences are what happens to | | | | job you do, there will be people who won't do |
| people because of their behavior or | | | | what they're supposed to. There will be |
| performance. | | | | situations that don't work out well. |
| | | | |
| Positive consequences (like praise) encourage | | | | Now for the good news. If you do the basics |
| people to continue something new or | | | | consistently and well, over time you'll be |
| difficult. Most managers don't use positive | | | | the person with the greatest impact on a work |
| consequences enough. Positive consequences | | | | team's productivity and morale. And that's |
| should be delivered frequently, but | | | | something to feel really good about. |