Manager's Minute 

When you've only got a minute for management you haven't got a minute to waste.

We all want to do well at what we do, and often believe that we have done well, but what we really want is for someone to tell us that we have done well, especially someone that we look up to and feel is important. So this week we'll deal with the 5^th need. "Acknowledge My Achievements"

Remember that the art of management is getting things done, and to get things done you need to know what needs to be done, how it must be done, by when it must be done and who must do it. Then you must ensure that the "doer" knows how to do it and has the resources to do it. Then you must let the doer know how they are doing so that they keep doing the right thing the right way.

Really good managers know the importance of positive reinforcement so they let the members of their team know when they have done well. They know that "while feedback is essential to progress, praise is essential to persistence."

------------------------------------------

The Cry of The Managed

5. Acknowledge My Achievements

With the last message we spoke about feedback, tragically for many managers the only feedback they give is negative feedback.

I am sure that we are all familiar with the picture of the crestfallen kitten wrapped in a tangle of wool with the caption "I do it right and nobody notices. I do it wrong and nobody lets me forget" There can't be much that is as demotivating as this.

Often the feeling is "Well, they're supposed to do it right, that's why they're employed" and actually that is correct, but it is also wrong. I am sure that what you really want are people who are excited, committed, enthusiastic, diligent and dedicated, just like you, right? Well it is your responsibility as a manager to help them to feel that way.

In the previous messages we set the foundation. Now let's build on it. Here's a key success principle;

Catch them doing something right!

As managers we should always be on the look out to reinforce good behaviour, and by good behaviour I mean any behaviour that is expected of the person that we are managing. Too often we only give praise if the person has done something extraordinary. If we gave praise for the ordinary things done well we would experience more extraordinary moments.

We get better and more consistent performance by acknowledging and reinforcing good performance than we do by identifying and criticising poor performance. People respond better to praise than to criticism, no matter how justified the criticism is. However, if there is an abundance of praise then there will be a greater acceptance, and less resentment, of criticism.

Three keys to effective acknowledgement are. Be Sincere, no false praise. Be Specific, no generalisations. Never mix praise and criticism so no "Buts". Adding a "but" to praise is like shaking someone's hand and then kicking them in the "butt" as they leave. Here's an example. "It's great that you are on time, but, I really wish you would dress better" The "but" erases all proceeding comments so avoid adding it if you really want to make your praise meaningful.

Depending on your current relationship, and reputation, with your team you may face some distrust from them when you switch to this new behaviour. They might wonder what's going on and be sceptical. Don't give up, persevere, it will be worth it. Keep catching them doing something right and letting them know that you have caught them. The more that you do this the more they will do things right.

Just remember that;

What gets measured gets done. What gets rewarded gets repeated. What gets emphasised gets remembered.

Make sure that you are measuring the right things and rewarding the things done right. Acknowledgement is a great reward and you will be rewarded by increased performance. One of my favourite sayings is "A pat on the back has the effect of filling the tank of enthusiasm"

Watch a sports team. They celebrate success, now you do not have to be so effusive with your acknowledgement of a team members achievement as some players are but a visible demonstration is recommended.

To end this message I want to share two personal experiences that I had with "mismanagement". In the last message I told you about some of my experiences with my one venture into the corporate world as an employee. Well here are some more.

When I was posted to Natal as area manager I was warned that the dealer accounts were not balanced. I was not to worry as they doubted that they would ever be balanced because some of the problems went too far back. I was just to ensure that current transactions were accurate. Well, anyone who knows me would know that, that's just not the way that I work, so I got to work and within 6 months had sorted out every query and had every dealers account balanced to the cent. That month I got a call from the finance department. They were amazed. The impossible had happened. The accounts balanced. My manager never even mentioned it.

One of my functions was to arrange events to promote the dealers and the brand so I got together with the dealers to arrange a "provincial event" that they could all participate in. There was a major rugby game taking place so a Promotion day was arranged around this game. There were over 200 clients from the various dealers and we entertained and fed them for the whole day, and late into the evening. It was a great success. The dealers unanimously voted it the best event ever and collectively wrote a letter to HO, and let me know what they had done. It was never mentioned to me by anyone in management. It was as though it had never happened. as I have said before, the best lesson I learned was "How NOT to manage".

As of today you be an Acknowledging Manager. If there is someone in your team who deserves acknowledgement, give it to him/her. Make it your mission to

Catch them doing something right!

Thank you for reading all the way to here. So many people give up on the message, but you persevered. This shows that you are committed to your personal improvement. Well Done. You should be proud of yourself.

------------------------------------------

That's it for today, I look forward to your comments and experiences related to this message. Mail them to me at johan@motivate.co.za

You could help by letting me know what your most pressing/puzzling/frustrating management problems are. Just send a mail to johan@motivate.co.za

If you would like to dramatically improve your "Performance Management" skills then you should ensure that you order "A Practical Guide to Performance Management" today. Just click here => A Practical Guide to Performance Management <= to get an order form.

Regards

Johan (JAHBATBU)(QBE)(UOL)

PS: Please pass this message on to any of your business colleagues you feel may benefit from it.

To live your best life be true to the YOU, that you want to be.

Live with passion. Change your life from making a living to making a difference.

Live up to the reputation that you want to have.