If you manage people, your work is a constant balancing act. Leaning too far to either side of the people vs. results spectrum creates challenges.
Let’s look at Charlie’s situation. Charlie lives large and loud, and his clients think he’s great. He takes his team to lunch every Friday, and he says good morning to every person and asks about their outside activities. Deadlines are not as important to Charlie as team spirit. He recently lost a couple of talented salespeople, he has a few under-performers, and his numbers are not quite meeting company standards – but he has lots of friends at work. His office manager has mentioned that the higher-ups want some detailed reports from him, but he just laughs and says his job is building relationships, not filling out paperwork. People on his team don’t really know where they’re going, but they’ll have fun getting there. From Charlie’s perspective, life is good.
And then there’s Samantha. She’s the first leader every year to complete goals, and she knows exactly what the goals should be for each person. Her team members don’t come to office gatherings very often; if asked, they say they’re too busy. Samantha often quotes company policies to her staff when they fail to follow them to the letter. She believes that people’s private lives should stay private, and she doesn’t want employees making excuses for work-related matters based on anything that happens outside the office. To Samantha, any exception to the rules is a slippery slope. Deadlines are met at any cost, and her staff find it difficult to talk about roadblocks they’re facing. People keep turning over on her team; she’s not sure why.
Charlie and Samantha are clearly out of balance. So what can you do as a manager to balance your concern for employees and your need for results?
Set clear, realistic expectations up front. You and your employees should agree on goals at least once a year, every year. Make sure they know what success looks like to you. Charlie’s team needs to know where they’re going, and Samantha’s staff needs to give input as goals and deadlines are set to help her create more realistic expectations. Bosses need to create an environment where people feel comfortable asking questions and seeking repeated clarification if needed.
Review employees’ goals frequently. While Charlie may be popular in the short term with lunches out and a friendly attitude, if his team fails to achieve the goals the company has set, his popularity will be short-lived. He needs to require his direct reports to give him details about progress on goals and projects – and supporting evidence. For Samantha, listening to her team members’ concerns when discussing goals, and becoming more flexible, might actually improve productivity more than strict rules and an iron fist.
Check the reality of the “I’m too busy” excuses. When people fall behind on projects, the first response is usually, “I’m too busy to get to that. I’m working on…,” and the list of projects begins. They may actually be too busy – or they may be finding reasons to put off a project they don’t understand or don’t want to do. Charlie’s tendency will be to say, “That’s OK. Don’t worry about it.” Samantha is likely to get angry and crack the whip. Instead, try asking for specifics: What are you working on this week, and when is it due? Who is it for? What will happen if it is not completed on time? Are you the only person who can complete it? If you have a red-hot project that must be assigned, clarify what the employee will have to set aside to handle the task for you. Make it comfortable for your employees to say to you, “I’m happy to do this, but you’ll have to help me prioritize because it means not completing x, y or z…”
Be willing to change or drop goals if they no longer make sense. Putting goals on paper is important; however, you’re not carving them in stone. If your team changes directions, adjust mid-stream. Goals or plans that are static and inflexible don’t serve the employee, the team or the organization.
Really see the people who work for you. Your employees are just people with crazy, normal, busy lives outside work – imperfect, hardworking people who (for the most part) want to do a great job for you. This is one of Charlie’s strong suits; Samantha needs to make some allowances for the normal challenges of life that don’t always strike from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. Flex your judgment: if giving someone half a day off or making an exception to a rarely enforced rule is what makes sense, do it. People who are frustrated or angry about unreasonable decisions aren’t very productive.
People know you’re the boss; build loyalty by being real. People can take the tough love – being held accountable, being told they need to improve – if you do your job as a manager. Work as hard as you expect them to work. Care about people but focus on making sure the job gets done. Help people know what success looks like, and support them in getting there. Admit when you’re wrong. And take the heat when something blows up.
People aren’t loyal because you’re nice. They’re loyal because you have their back – and you help them succeed. They need you to be the boss; they have plenty of friends.
