To Be Followed, Be Honest

As a leader it is essential that we have followers. We are not going to have our employees follow us if we are not a person they can trust. Have you ever stopped to think what people value most in their managers?

Most people want someone who is honest, truthful and straightforward. They want someone who has their interests at heart, someone they can trust. Integrity is something which can’t be faked, at least not for long. If you are trustworthy, it will show in your words and actions. It is a natural part of your being. If you fake honesty people will eventually realize they cannot trust you. As a leader you have to be trusted. You’ll build loyalty in people and enjoy their goodwill. Your people will want to do a good job for you because of the trust they have in you.

Most managers believe themselves to be honest and straightforward. If anyone accused them of presenting things differently than they really are, they’d be upset. Unfortunately, though, the fact is that some do stretch the truth, at least part of the time.

Some managers, for example, pride themselves on knowing what should or shouldn’t be told to their people. For one reason or another, they tell employees only what they want them to know…which may or may not be the complete truth of the matter. Wise managers stick to the facts. When they want to make a change or otherwise do something for the good of the company, they admit frankly, they don’t try to pass it off as a new employee benefit.

Other managers slant things to protect their personal image or to keep up appearances. Some simply fool themselves; they get carried away by their own words. Because they paint a glowing word picture, they think that makes it so. Employees are smarter than that. They will know when something is being pushed on them.

Good managers don’t present everything only in the best possible light. If there’s a bad side to something, they point that out too, rather than risk thinking they’re trying to put something over on them. If that happens then your employees start to not trust you. When you lose trust from your people it takes that much longer to get it back. Being honest and straightforward may not always be the popular way to do things, but it is they right way. Employees may not always like hearing the bad side of something, and may not stay with the company. As a manager you have to ask yourself, is that a trustworthy person? They may be one of your best employees, but, if they are not trustworthy, then you do not need them in your organization.

In short, a smart manager doesn’t try to fool anyone any of the time. He or she knows that nothing undermines people’s confidence faster than twisting the truth. After all, how much trust can be put in a manager who bends or hides facts, or tries to “snow people”?

The Art Of Motivation.

Implementing the three “R’s”

Responsibility, Recognition, Rewards

Are you a good leader? If you have never asked yourself that question, now is a good time.

Let’s be honest. No matter how talented you are, your organization would definitely benefit if you made some improvements. When you move up in the ranks of your organization, you must continue to educate yourself and improve your skills. If you don’t, your peers who are improving will pass you up. Think of all the athletes who have made it to the top or have won championships. The good ones will always say “we have room for improvement”. This is because they are not satisfied with only winning once. They want to remain on top of their game so they constantly strive to do better.

Ask yourself these basic questions:

* What are my weak points as a leader?

* What part of my job as a leader do I neglect because I am poor at it or just don’t like doing?

* Do I spend enough time with my assistants and employees coaching them, communicating with them and giving feedback?

* How can I be a better leader?

If you are sincere in answering these questions and want to improve, then this self evaluation should suggest some areas that could use some improvement.

One of the most powerful ways to motivate employees is to give them responsibility. Most people want a challenge, but leaders frequently hesitate to delegate responsibility because they fear employees may mishandle it. Unfortunately, this fear becomes self-fulfilling, employees are not given opportunities to excel and, thus, don’t. Think of yourself when you were an employee just waiting for that promotion. You would do almost anything to prove yourself to your boss. Just think, if your boss did not give you responsibilities, where would you be today? You owe it to your employees as a leader to help them develop.

To avoid this trap of not delegating responsibility, take risks. Demonstrate confidence in your staff by giving them appropriate amounts of responsibility coupled with clear expectations regarding their performance and accountability. You want to give tasks you know they should be able to handle. If they are given tasks outside of their capabilities then you are setting them up for failure and that is de-motivating. If they are not able to handle the task they are given then you know what areas you have to work on with that employee. People who are expected to achieve will do so more frequently than those who are not. More over, they enjoy their jobs more at the same time.

Much has been written about the importance of letting people know that they are important to the company, regardless of the limitations of their current jobs. While this is good common sense, many leaders don’t do this well or don’t do it at all. In many cases, their attitude is, “my people get paid to do their jobs and do not need a lot of attention or recognition from me”

Sounds logical, but it isn’t so. Most human beings need to be recognized. Without it, people tend to “drop out” of an organization. That is, they lose their commitment to its goals.  Recognition takes many forms, but don’t confuse it with monetary rewards. Believe it or not money is not the best motivator. It’s a temporary fix to a bigger problem. Recognition can be as simple as a “thank you”. It can be focused on individuals or an entire group of employees. One company I was in had an incentive plan to have the highest increase in sales for the month. I was rewarded with a weekend getaway and I rewarded my staff with a party. When it comes to recognition, quantity is the important thing, not the packaging.

People perform in anticipation of rewards. By using rewards properly, you can significantly increase your employees’ motivation.

 Remember that:

Rewards should be contingent upon performance. They will lose their value if they are given when not deserved.

Rewards should be given as soon as possible after the desired performance occurs so that the employee will associate it with his or her performance. Long-term rewards are also needed to ensure that employees adopt a long term perspective on their jobs. Our company’s highest increase in sales incentive was not only for the month but for the entire year. As the year went on, the more months you had the highest increase, the bigger the prize. The yearly prize was a trip to Las Vegas.

Money is not enough to keep people motivated for the long term. Employees also need the satisfaction that result from engaging in interesting and challenging work.

The Three R’s are simple but effective approaches to becoming a better leader. They should be an essential part of every leader’s repertoire.