One of my role models and mentors passed away two weeks before this last Christmas.
She was my Mom.
And during her life, she taught me more about managing and dealing with people than any textbook I have read.
You see, she simply practiced what I call the Golden Rule of Management - "Do unto others what you would have them do unto you"--each and every day.
By her teachings and example, she taught me how to lead, persuade, manage and motivate others.
Yet, one of the most talked about,and least understood or practiced, skills in business today is how to effectively manage and motivate people.
Correct people management techniques are the keys to the success of any organization or business.
Let's take a look at some of these.
In formulating a business plan, one certainly develops a strategy for motivating customers to buy.
Understanding their buying behaviors, how they like to receive information, where they are located, what keeps them up at night, how to make them successful - are just a few of the many questions to answer in developing strategies to motivate them to purchase products, services and information from your business.
The same discipline must go into dealing with an even more important audience - your employees.
Employees #1 key to success Many think that the customer is king; and ultimately it is the customer who delivers revenue to your business.
But some interesting things are taking place in management today.
A few years ago a book was written touting that the customer is #2.
Employees, the book said, were #1 in any business or organization.
The rationale was that if employees are happy, empowered to make decisions and embrace the vision, values and brand promise of the company, they will be more passionate about their jobs and better able to go the extra mile in keeping customers happy.
In essence, they become your best brand ambassadors for your company or organization..
Think about those those companies with which you like to do business.
You are treated friendly, fairly, and with respect..
You see that the employees are happy and that they sincerely enjoytheir jobs.
They greet you by name.
They are there to answer your questions.
They make you feel like royalty.
You enjoy the experience of dealing with them.
Even if you do not like the solution, they find a way to make your experience pleasurable.
It's simply the Golden Rule of Management..
..
in action.
For these employees, management has found the key to motivating and helping them feel a part of an empowered organization that is focused on the customer.
Performance is pressure-packed.
And today's companies and organizations need to produce results for impatient owners.
In stressful times, managers can either employ harsh tactics or yelling and cursing, or they can practice reasonable Golden Rule of Management-type of tactics.
Let me explain.
Golden Rule of Management ...
in Action The world of sports is filled with examples on both sides of this management equation.
When I played football, "back in the day,"coaches were screamers and hollerers.
Every little mistake was scrutinized, criticized and put up to public ridicule.
I remember on once occasion a teammate had missed a blocking assignment during a game and the coach addressed him in front of the whole team at half time.
He asked the player what he was supposed to do on a particularplay.
The teammate gave the right answer to his question, not once, but three times.
The coach then hurled an obscenity-laced tirade toward the player,something like "blankety- blank, blank, then why didn't you do it? Needless to say, this teammates self confidence was shattered.
No one likes to be belittled in public.
Another tenant of the Golden Rule of Management is to praisepublicly, correct privately.
Perhaps that's why that style of coaching "by fear and intimidation" did not win us any championships.
Although some, screamers and hollerers do win games and achieve results - ask, but at what cost? One of the greatest miracles is the lifting of others to reach their full potential and performance level.
This year's two NFL Super Bowl head coaches --Indianapolis' Tony Dungy and Chicago's Lovie Smith -- are perfect examples of this.
Both are class acts and have proven themselves great motivators without demeaning a player (an employee)They have found best the way to get the most out of every individual is to be firm and fair and to make sure they understand that it is the TEAM that wins or loses, not individuals.
They have mastered the technique of getting individuals to work together toward a common goal - the success of the team.
It's interesting that neither are hollerers or screamers.
They are respectful of their players, their employees.
They treat them like the tremendous assets to they are to the organization.
They positively motivateplayers to overcome mistakes to maximize their personal abilities.
The players know that every member of the team is a vital cog - a key contributor -- to the overall success of the team.
In fact, Coach Dungy does not tolerate profanity by his players.
He doesn't like it and doesn't use it, so why should they.
That is a rarity in today's world of professional sports.
Again - the Golden Rule of Management in play.
Positive always trumps negative Years ago, I heard a speech by a very successful NBA coach who explained how he changed his coaching style and found more success.
He was not a screamer or hollerer, and found success in the regular season, but something was missing in the late stages of crucial games that cost the team victories over lesser opponents, and entry into the post-season playoffs.
He said, "We kept drilling the players on game situations and what they should and should not do in those crucial times.
" In recapping a season, without a playoff berth, he was talking with his assistants and asked, "Why do our players do the things we tell them not to do?"One of the assistants answered,"Perhaps they are doing what we have have taught them.
In the pressure of the game, they are not distinguishing between what they should do and should not do, as a result they do what we put in their minds.
:The light went on and the NBA coach changed his teaching style.
Only the positive things they should do in game situations were taught..
He said the results were dramatic.
Mistakes were not made in tight games.
They team performed exactly how they were taught.
They made the playoffs each year after that and eventually vied for the NBA title.
Feedback - we all love it All of us love to receive feedback.
Of course we like to hear more compliments than negatives, but it is in how the message is delivered that motivates us.
We all want to perform well.
A few years ago, an experiment took place at a bowling alley.
Two teams of bowlers were videotaped during a match and then a coach visited with them.
Team One saw the videotape of the match with all the mistakes removed.
The coach focused only on the positive strengths of each player and described and reinforced what they had done right.
They did not see their mistakes.
Team Two also saw an edited video of the match, but this one included only the mistakes they had made.
The coach of this team offered suggestions on how to improve the team's performance.
After receiving the feedback, there was a rematch in which both teams showed improvement.
However, the team that received the positive criticism improved 100 percent more than the team that focused on their mistakes.
Building on the positive aspects of performance is far better than focusing on the negative.
The power of positive people management can never be underestimated.
Mom had it right.
The Golden Rule of Management does work.
Employees are #1.
Be positive in your feedback (Praise publicly, correct privately because you can attract more bees with honey than with vinegar.
) Be firm, but fair.
Make sure your employees know and embrace the vision of your organization.
And then empower them to act with your customers.