The good, the bad & the ugly?

25 oktober 2018

What kind of behavior do children copy?

The good, the bad and the ugly.

Yet as they grow older, it seems they start to specialize in the bad and the ugly.

Anything you'd hoped they hadn't noticed, they'll copy (swear words, drinking our of the carton,...).

If possible, they'll 'improve' on it (ie making it worse)

What have they stopped copying?

All the good examples you set.

Yet as a manager we believe in this magic tool: management by example.

You simply portray the behavior of a 'perfect employee' and everyone will copy it.

Or not?

Adults have their own way of doing things. Their own preferences and habits.

They may notice that you do things differently.

They may believe that your way is better.

They may even copy something.

But they'll be blind to a lot of your efforts.

Your example doesn't influence others half as much as you would like to.

Don't get me wrong: you've got to set the example.

If you want your team to treat customers with respect, you have to set the tone.

If you want them to pay attention to the detail, you can't send them emails full of mistakes.

You get my drift.

Management by example is a powerful tool to set the stage.

But that's all it is.

If you want to have a real impact on your team, you're also going to have to do the 'real' management work.

You're going to have to get to know the people in the team.

Build a relationship with them.

Praise them for good work.

Give them feedback, motivate them, develop them. 

Have open and honest conversations.

Tell them what you expect and why.

And keep setting the good example - just don't expect it to be a miracle solution.

#management #impact #feedback #doingthework #behavior #don'tfoolyourself