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1. Let people know what you
expect. If people know what’s expected of them, that’s
what they’ll do--if they don’t know what’s expected,
they’ll do something else. Communicate clear and
unambiguous performance expectations and hold people
accountable for their achievement.
2. Be a systems thinker.
Remind people of their interconnectedness and that
something happening in one area affects all other areas.
If people know how what they do impacts on others,
they’ll try harder to do it well.
3. Keep people informed.
Don’t assume that others can read your mind. If
there’s something going on, let them in on it. Without
information people invent it and the human tendency is to
think the worst. A well-timed word can prevent a lot of
worry.
4. Let people “own”
their jobs. Remember your first car and how you felt about
owning it and how hard you worked to keep it clean and in
good running order? Well the same hold true for people’s
jobs. If people feel ownership of their job, the harder
they will try to take care of it and do it well.
5. Establish a feedback
culture. Things go wrong probably no more than five or ten
percent of the time yet we spend ninety percent of our
time belabouring those few things. We probably only spend
ten percent of our energy talking about the ninety percent
of things that are done well. Spending more time providing
feedback about the positive outcomes makes it easier to
talk to people about those that are negative. Passing on a
good word about someone or providing deserved praise or
recognition doesn’t diminish you in any way. It
doesn’t take any light from your candle to light someone
else’s. Feedback truly is the breakfast of champions and
people who feel like champions act like champions.
6. Share your power.
Invariably when I ask people in my training sessions who
has power in the room they point to me. To an extent
that’s true. I do have power but only if the group gives
it to me. When we’re given power, there is an
expectation that we will use it responsibly. People who
use power responsibly shun manipulation and intimidation
and focus on what they can give to others rather than on
what they can get. They share their power, giving others
the opportunity to influence events and situations. And,
like the biblical direction about “casting your bread
upon the waters,” the return is a thousand fold. Those
with whom the power is shared give it back in greater
measure and the mutual ability to influence is enhanced.
Simply put, power shared is power gained.
7. The coach, not the
players get fired. When a sports team performs poorly, the
coach is fired, not the players. And the players, not the
general manager, fire the coach. How does all of this
work? Quite simply, the coach fails to provide the
conditions that motivate players to maximize their
performance and, as a result, they play just hard enough
to keep their jobs. “Spoiled athletes,” you might say.
“The money they make should be enough to motivate
them!” Which leads to eighth key:
8. Money only keeps them
coming back. Take it away and they won’t come at all but
more of it will do nothing to make them work or play
harder.
9. Treat your people like
volunteers. Have you ever noticed how hard volunteers’
work, how dedicated most of them are, how much time they
give to their volunteer organizations? Why is that? Well
mostly because others recognize and appreciate their
skills. Often volunteers are given important jobs that
carry large responsibility. Recognition and opportunity
are what drive volunteers. Treat the people who work with
you like volunteers and the results will amaze you.
10. And finally, remember
that happens while you’re there doesn’t matter--it’s
what happens when you’re not there that counts.
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About
The Author
©
Dr. Tom Olson 2004, all rights reserved
Permission to reprint article granted as
long as this signature remains intact.
Dr. Tom
Olson is the author of Don’t Die With
Your helmet On. Visit www.Dontdiewithyourhelmeton.com
for more information about Dr. Tom, the
book and his work.
onfo@dontdiewithyourhelmeton.com |
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