| Great managers break every rule perceived as | | | | around weaknesses. |
| “conventional wisdom,†when | | | | As an example, if I employ a person who lacks |
| dealing with the selection, motivation, and | | | | people skills, a diverse group of staff members |
| development of staff. So state Marcus | | | | can form a customer service team that includes |
| Buckingham and Curt Coffman in First, Break All | | | | him. Other employees with excellent people skills |
| The Rules: What the World’s Greatest | | | | make his weakness less evident. And, the |
| Managers Do Differently, Compare Prices a book | | | | organization is able to capitalize on his product |
| which presents the findings of the Gallup | | | | knowledge when dealing with product quality |
| organization’s interviews with over | | | | issues. |
| 80,000 successful managers. | | | | Does this mean that great managers never help |
| Most powerful about these findings about | | | | people improve their inadequate skills, knowledge, |
| successful management is that each | | | | or methods? No, but they shift their emphasis to |
| “great†manager was | | | | human resource development in areas in which |
| identified based upon the performance results he | | | | the employee already has talent, knowledge, and |
| produced in his organization. Here are some of the | | | | skills. |
| key ideas discussed in the great managers book. | | | | The Four Vital Jobs for Great Managers |
| Additionally, I'll expand upon the human resource | | | | Buckingham and Coffman identify four twists on |
| management and development information from | | | | conventional approaches which further define the |
| the book with specific examples and | | | | differences in tactics espoused by great |
| recommendations. | | | | managers. |
| Managers and human resource management and | | | | Select people based on talent. |
| development professionals can apply the research | | | | When setting expectations for employees, |
| findings to jump start their management career | | | | establish the right outcomes. |
| success. | | | | When motivating an individual, focus on strengths. |
| An Overall New Approach to Human Resource | | | | To develop an individual, find the right job fit for |
| Development | | | | the person. |
| The insight most commonly expressed during the | | | | Select People Based on Talent |
| interviews with 80,000 great managers challenges | | | | During the Gallup interviews, great managers |
| traditional human resource management and | | | | stated that they selected staff members based |
| development beliefs. Thousands of great | | | | on talent, rather than experience, education, or |
| managers stated variations on this belief: | | | | intelligence. Gallup defined |
| “People don’t change that | | | | “talents†by studying the |
| much. Don’t waste time trying to put | | | | talents needed to achieve in 150 distinct roles. |
| in what was left out. Try to draw out what was | | | | Talents identified are: |
| left in. That is hard enough.†(p. 57) | | | | striving - (examples: drive for achievement, need |
| The implications of this insight for training and | | | | for expertise, drive to put beliefs in action), |
| performance development are profound. This | | | | thinking – (examples: focus, discipline, |
| insight encourages building on what people can | | | | personal responsibility), and |
| already do well Instead of trying to | | | | relating – (examples: empathy, |
| “fix†weaker talents and | | | | attentiveness to individual differences, ability to |
| abilities. The traditional performance improvement | | | | persuade, taking charge). |
| process identifies specific, average or below | | | | Human Resource professionals will support line |
| performance areas. Suggestions for improvement, | | | | managers more effectively if they recommend |
| either verbal or in a formal appraisal process, | | | | methods for identifying talents such as realistic |
| focus on developing thes weaknesses. | | | | testing and behavioral interviewing . When |
| What great managers do instead, is assess each | | | | checking background, look for patterns of talent |
| individual’s talents and skills. They then | | | | application. (As an example, did the candidate |
| provide training, coaching, and development | | | | develop every new position she ever obtained |
| opportunities that will help the person increase | | | | from scratch?) |
| these skills. They compensate for or manage | | | | |