We have already established that it is easier for you if your people want to follow you rather than be ‘the managed’. You have to set a good example for people to copy. Otherwise, you are giving the contradictory message, “Don’t do as I do, do as I say.”
• Leading by example doesn’t mean that you have to do or even be able to do the jobs of everyone who works for you.
• Leading by example doesn’t mean that you have to get as ‘grimy’ as they may have to on a daily basis.
• Leading by example doesn’t mean that you have to earn the same as they do. The extra responsibilities of being the boss usually command a higher rate of pay.
one minute wonder The difficult balancing act is to let people see that you have achieved your elevated position on merit, without making them resent you for the trappings of that achievement. If you can get this balance right, then you are a leader!
What leading by example does mean
You have to set an example all day, every day. People really notice and remember if you fail to ‘walk the talk’.
TOM is an acronym. It sets out three simple to remember principles that help you manage people effectively. The three principles of TOM are Trust, Objectives and Motivation.
• Trust. You need to build trust with your people. Note the emphasis on trust with, i.e. you trust them and they trust you. You can do this by observing, questioning, listening to and socializing with your people. Manage their expectations and keep your word. Always be reasonable. Building trust takes time, and you don’t command trust just because of your rank or job title. Avoid ‘micro-management’ – don’t expect hourly progress reports. Step back and let people get on without your constant supervision.
• Objectives. You need to set objectives that have clear desired outcomes. These can be short-, medium- or long-term objectives. They can be based around activity and effort or results, as appropriate, so long as the way you will (and therefore the individual can) assess success is clearly understood. Chapter 3 covers the required elements of a good objective.
• Motivation. You must ensure that the individual has adequate motivation. Recognize that sometimes the responsibility alone is motivation enough and that at other times it will not be. Like the objective, the motivation can be short or long term: “If you get all this filing done today, you can do the research you enjoy tomorrow. If you get all the research finished by the end of the day tomorrow, you can have Wednesday afternoon off!”
Business gurus who have successfully managed people in the real world agree with the TOM approach:
“If you pick the right people and give them the opportunity to spread their wings [Trust] and put compensation as a carrier behind it [Motivation] you almost don’t have to manage them” [just set the Objectives] Jack Welch, former Chairman and CEO of General Electric
“I have no secret. There are no rules to follow in business. I just work hard [set and achieve Objectives] and, as I always have done, believe I can do it. [Trust myself] Most of all, though, I try to have fun” [Motivation] Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Group
“Tell them what you want [Objectives], reward them for it [Motivation], and get out of the way” [Trust] Gordon Bethune, former CEO of Continental Airlines
Agree objectives, check people are motivated and then get out of the way!
A Results Orientated Work Environment – or ROWE for short – is a new idea that is gaining ground in the information and Internet age. The main principle behind ROWE is to create a working environment that is orientated to recognizing and rewarding results rather than time.
In order to create a ROWE, the manager has to set specific, measurable objectives that lead to results that can be tested and accepted. (See Chapter 3 for more about setting objectives.) The key concept in a ROWE is the quality standard by which you, the manager, will assess whether the task has been completed, and therefore whether the reward for it will be released.
Obviously the faster a person can complete a task to the required standard, the sooner they earn the reward. This challenge in itself encourages people to work with a higher level of motivation.
ROWE doesn’t work for all roles. For example, a shop assistant has to be present while the shop is open, even if there are no customers. However, for roles that can be done on a ROWE basis, the approach has distinct benefits.
one minute wonder Consider what you want the people who work for you to achieve…today…and this week. Does it really require them to be in the office, or is being in the office actually a hindrance to their achievement? If so…think ROWE!
• People can manage their own workloads and don’t need to ask your permission to come and go. Therefore you don’t need to constantly supervise and monitor their work rate and attendance.
• People can earn more if they want to, which is another motivating factor.
• Reward is based on actual output, not hours, so productivity is very likely to rise.
• ROWE increases everyone’s focus on quality.
• ROWE is an adaptive solution to overwork – people are less likely to take on work they do not intend to complete.
ROWE works best if the people you manage are not a team, and the output of each is independent of others. However, you can create a team ROWE – a team of bricklayers, for example, can agree a ‘contract price’ for the job. They will be far more reliable than a team of bricklayers paid by the hour who have, by definition, a vested interest in dragging out the job to take up more hours.
A work environment orientated to results has many benefits over one based on the number of hours worked.
If you have the opportunity, form your people into a team. Teams don’t occur naturally; you have to make a concerted effort to develop a team ethos. This chapter is mostly concerned with creating a team from a group of individuals. The whole point of a team is ‘synergy’, which means that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. In other words, teamwork will produce a better result than when individual people work towards individual goals.
2.1 AIM to pick the right person for the job
Managing people is a whole lot easier if you have the right people from the outset. If you have the opportunity to pick and choose your people, then this secret will help you to take advantage of that opportunity. There are three fundamental steps to picking the right people – Assess, Identify and Motivate – or AIM for short.
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