Many people believe that everyone sees the world exactly the same way as they do. This is never true and was the source of much turmoil in Dr. Jacob's office.
When the Job Isn't Getting Done
"They never seem to get any work done on time, but they complain that they're being underutilized."
Dr. Jacob, a chiropractor, was talking about his office staff.
"I have to do so many things myself that they could do for me, but they don't. They just don't seem care about what I want. I just don't understand. I pay them well and they need their jobs."
As Dr. Jacob's frustration increased, he explored the idea that he had hired inappropriate people in the first place. He reflected that if only he could find the proper leverage he thought he could make them do what he had hired them to do.
Leverage to Dr. Jacob meant the proper combination of rewards and threats.
Guidelines May Be Necessary
When I asked about what guidelines the staff was given to do their work Dr. Jacob admitted that he let them set up their own procedures with very little input from him. He communicated his expectations very vaguely, because he himself hated to be told what to do.
Dr. Jacob thought if he were "nice" to them, they would like him and work hard to assure the success of the office.
Unclear Expectations Produce A Schizophrenic Experience for the Boss and His Staff
Dr. Jacob only got angry when they didn't meet his admittedly non-specific performance expectations. When he got frustrated enough, he would insist that his rules be followed; telling his confused and demoralized staff exactly how to do what he expected. They were constantly seesawing between unclear expectations and over-detailed instructions that discounted their intelligence and experience.
Giving Others What You Need For Yourself May NOT Work
Dr. Jacob argued when I suggested that he needed to create clear guidelines for his staff and then leave them alone to do their jobs. He was sure his staff would hate him and quit if he did that, and he firmly believed they would never get any work done without closer supervision.
Dr. Jacob believed that everyone in the world hated structure as much as he did.
When I explained that most people need and want structured guidelines in order to feel safe and happy, Dr. Jacob was surprised. He explained how he had been forced to follow rules for most of his life and cherished his present freedom. He assumed that everybody else felt exactly the same way he did.
Give Your Staff What They Need to Produce Results
He experimented with the idea that some people felt nurtured by structure. Warily, he started telling his office manager only the outcomes he wanted including necessary completion times.
The office manager competently communicated the work requirements, the staff happily met them, and Dr. Jacob was immensely relieved.
©Laurie Weiss, Ph.D.
About The Author
For More Secrets for Turning Difficult Conversations Into Amazing Opportunities for Cooperation and Success go to www.DareToSayIt.com.
Laurie Weiss, Ph.D., Master Certified Coach, is an internationally known relationship coach, management consultant, psychotherapist, speaker and author. For over thirty years she has helped clients have the important conversations that create strong personal and working relationships. To schedule a consultation or speaking engagement call Laurie at 303-794-5379, email her at laurie@laurieweiss.com, or visit her on the web at www.DareToSayIt.com.
An operations manual can act as a tool for training... Read More
When executives see themselves as solely responsible for the overall... Read More
Here are 10 subjects that academia should be teaching their... Read More
Nearly all leaders I've encountered are underachievers. They're getting a... Read More
Marketing gurus are always coming up with new lingo but... Read More
Q: One of my key employees is giving me trouble.... Read More
As a training manager, there are two important aspects to... Read More
When problem solving, you may recognize that you were working... Read More
AbstractThe electrical products industry is one characterized by fierce competition,... Read More
Being a good trainer requires experience and skill. Experience comes... Read More
We obtain strategic results by aligning HR mission, vision and... Read More
Define the Problem First. It seems obvious, but how many... Read More
STEPS IN USING THE CRITICAL INCIDENT TECHNIQUE:1) The incident. Read,... Read More
Do you own or manage a computer consulting company? Are... Read More
Positive versus Negative WorkplacesWe have all worked in places where... Read More
DECISION BY AUTHORITY RULE: Many groups start out with-or quickly... Read More
A Nightmare That Really HappenedOver 10 years ago, when I... Read More
All maintenance activities of the workforce must be documented, this... Read More
Does your business need the services of a computer consulting... Read More
160 years ago, the newly invented electric telegraph carried the... Read More
Virtually any type of organizational change involves role transitions of... Read More
Many business owners are sabotaging their business without even realizing... Read More
A recent report from the American Hospital Association's Commission on... Read More
What is factoring?Accounts receivable financing, also known as factoring, is... Read More
I bet you can't tell me how leadership training and... Read More
IntroductionAre you looking for a way to gain control of... Read More
People talk to me about making personal and professional changes... Read More
Implementing an ISO 9001 system represents a major effort. However,... Read More
You know, this would be a great business if it... Read More
Email, when used properly, can generate additional direct sales and... Read More
You may have the MBA but if an internal critic... Read More
A few weeks ago I asked my readers what the... Read More
Nothing has changed. Your ancestors lived by faith. Some planted... Read More
GROUP DECISION MAKING -- IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM: Tell specifically what... Read More
Training managers use many of the same interpersonal and analytical... Read More
Why settle for bad feelings when your employee leaves the... Read More
OBSTRUCTIONS: 1. Staff deficiencies. Lack of confidence in employees quite... Read More
As a child, you probably heard, "to thine own self... Read More
This article relates to the Manager/Supervisor competency, commonly evaluated in... Read More
You can possibly teach a turkey to climb a tree... Read More
The first step in planning an agenda is to identify... Read More
Like many, I watched the 134th Belmont Stakes hoping to... Read More
If you're one of the many executives struggling with finding... Read More
Over 3 of my meetings with 3 business owners last... Read More
We all know people who are like human dynamos. They... Read More
Take the pain out of gain and decrease the upheaval... Read More
Although there are real, external reasons for managerial difficulty ?... Read More
Having an agenda template that works well for you, week... Read More
If you are like most business people, voice mail has... Read More
The reason jobs are often not done right and employees... Read More
Employers have become so concerned about seeming "unfair" or worse... Read More
Many concepts in the fields of managing creativity are very... Read More
When you think of all the things companies have, you... Read More
Many HR managers believe that by sending their workers to... Read More
Faulty information costs you money! Which of these popular business... Read More
Measure.The first key question to answer in starting a problem-solving... Read More
Do you own or manage a computer consulting company? Are... Read More
1. Eliminate wasteEliminate reports, habits, products, duplicate input, and processes... Read More
Before you call your next meeting, the FIRST step is... Read More
If you think the power move has costs, consider the... Read More
Good hires do not happen by accident or luck. In... Read More
The problem with communication is the illusion that it has... Read More
We all spend time on planning vacations. If it's not... Read More
You just signed a Help Desk Service Level Agreement (SLA)... Read More
Every Manager has experienced the frustration of not understanding why... Read More
IntroductionManagers have two powerful ways of improving the performance and... Read More
Business Management |