Pyramid Model: Manage the Work Processes

When supervisors and managers ignore their responsibility for managing AND developing the way work is done, waste increases, competitiveness decreases and knowledge workers - who can see better ways of doing things and opportunities to do things better, faster, easier - lose motivation and commitment.

So the challenge here is to make time to map, improve and radically change processes, in order to maintain alignment with the demands of the business, and the business environment. 

Given that most managers are Digital Immigrants and most technical professionals are Net Gen-ers and Digital Natives, the manager has to learn to let go and share leadership in this area of the pyramid, probably more than any other. 

  

How DO You Manage AND Develop Individuals?

Here's the Deal... Are you up for it?

1. Set clear, mutual, expectations

• on roles, goals and standards of and attendance, behaviour & performance 
  
• on what they can – and should - expect from you
  
• make it clear that, while you can and will help, they are responsible for meeting expectations fully and consistently 

2. Check that they're willing to deliver on expectations

• Make it clear they are in the driver’s seat – it’s their choice

3. RESOURCE the expectations

• If you're not willing or able to provide the resources necessary for success, your expectations are unrealistic and you're setting them up to fail
  

HOW CAN I HELP?

3. Create an environment for success: 

• Build transparency, trust, action, accountability & appreciation
• Talk straight, walk your talk & keep your commitments
• Listen, show respect & loyalty - to their faces & behind their backs
• Make decisions based on evidence, ethics & empathy
• Make assessments based on explicit, valid & fair measures
• Tackle unethical, unfair behaviour & poor performance
• Don’t harass, discriminate, bully or victimise

GREAT JOB! THANKS!

4. Work your guts out to make sure they can and want to perform:

• CAN PERFORM 
• Make sure they get what they need, when they need it, so they can do the job right, first time, every time

 instruction, training and coaching
 equipment & materials
 real-time factual feedback/metrics on how they’re doing
 practical help to solve problems, deal with obstacles & interference

• WANT TO PERFORM 
  

 Select carefully & fairly, discipline carefully & fairly 

 Deliver on your end of the deal: keep a public scorecard on YOUR attendance, behaviour & performance as well as theirs

 Get to you know your people: find out 

*what they’re trying to achieve

*what interests & excites them – help them get that

  *what they’re thinking and feeling about work   

 Make sure they get a fair deal & act on the things that drain,  

    frustrate & demotivate them
 Show that you notice, consider & appreciate them & their performance 
• say thanks, nice job, well done, great effort!
• let your bosses know who’s doing a great job
 Find ways to make work & performance rewarding & worth their while

 Make sure rewards & promotions go to real leaders & performers

I'VE GOT A PROBLEM & I NEED YOUR HELP TO SOLVE IT

5. Turn Problems into Action

Coach when people do badly

Hold people to account: by using

• fair, valid and explicit measures
• reminders rather than reprimands
• decision-making leave rather than leave without pay
• courageous action to do right and right wrongs rather than covering your own behind! 

Why don't they do what they're s'posed to do...?

Individuals!

We come in every shape and size; we have our own histories, our own unique mix of family, cultural and generational influences; we like and dislike different things; we have our little quirks and foibles; we're motivated by different things; we each respond to a unique mix of managing & developing.... and your job is to manage AND develop us - whether we like it or not!

That's a tough gig! 

Somehow, though you're no doubt busy and juggling multiple demands from various sources, you need to make time for us. 

We ARE your job - we're not an interruption! We need you to make time for us... talk to us... set clear expectations about our attendance, behaviour and performance - and equally, be clear with us about what we can - and should - expect of you.  Get organised to ensure that we have what we need, when we need it, to do the job right, first time... we'd like you to get to know us...how we tick, what we enjoy and what drains, frustrates, bores, blocks and demotivates us - we'd like you act on that information, and enable us do work we're proud of, work that's appreciated, work that makes a difference, work that's no more difficult or tedious or dangerous than it has to be... that's what will motivate us.

We'd like you, every now and then, to ask us, how you can be a better manager - listen, take some notes, say 'thanks' when we answer (don't argue!!) ...just think about what we say and try to do something - just ONE thing - about it. Then follow up to let us know what you've been doing about it, to find out if you've made a difference.... and to ask if there's anything else you can help with. 

Occasionally, you may need to remind us about what we're expected to do, what we're paid to do, where the boundaries are...  if you've done all the stuff above, we'll take it... just as long as you do it without getting all parental, preachy or teachy.... please! 

If you don't do all this strategically, consistently and well... we lose focus, motivation and commitment, or we start to pick & choose what we do to suit ourselves instead of the business, we feel neglected, or resentful or confused, we develop bad habits, we start to think we're better - or worse - than we are, or we lose trust in you, we... well you know what we do! 

Check out the post on Managing AND Developing Individuals for one model on how to do all this... it's coming in the next few days

(I'd like to acknowledge the influence on my thinking of Eric Berne, Thomas Gordon, Linda Adams, John Powell, Jean Illsley-Clarke & Marshall Goldsmith)

Who Learns More When A Fool & Wise Person Meet?

Are you still using Winndoze 95? or OhEss8? 

Do you still use a computer with a 2 Gig hard drive and 128K ram...Are you working with EmEsWurd2000 without virus protection?

No? 

Really!?  Why not?

Ahhh....Because you can't run 21st century programs on outdated platforms...?

Uhhuhhh...

And because there's so many nasty viruses around these days

Uhhuhh... I see... makes sense really...

So...may I ask... 

• how often do you upgrade your mental operating system to prevent the human equivalents of freezing (paralysis by analysis), crashing (dummy-spits, freak-outs) or start-up problems?
• how up-to-date do you keep your anit-virus thinking to protect against nasty workplace viruses like Hubris, Arrogance, Know-It-Allism, Negativity, Cynicism, Apathy, Complacency, High Anxiety, Doom & Gloom? 
• what new software have you 'installed' (by reading, studying, listening, researching, travelling, mixing with new people) to handle the complexity & dynamics of 21st century work?
  

If you're still doing things the way you've always done them, if you're still doing what you've always done... sorry, but your pyramid's going down... because on this planet (as far as I know) there are only two options: decay or growth.