 |
| Recent
Articles |
Technology & Communication
A study a couple of years ago found that 63% of executives were making fewer business
trips because of technology.
Communicating
CEOs
I see a PR firm has done a survey on the amount of time Canadian CEOs spend on
communication, and found they spend almost half of their time on communication.
7
Secrets To Writing Inventory Procedures
With 1 Million would you: Pay off debt? Purchase new equipment? Invest/save for
the future? Give yourself a bonus? 1 Million Waiting in the Wings. What do you
and your business need that you have been putting off because you don't have the
money today?
Don't
Waste Your Money On Team Building
Thousands of companies wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue last
year on "Team Building" programs that didn't develop more of a team atmosphere
within their organizations.
Blog
From The Gut Of Your Company
USA Today has a big story asking why CEOs aren't blogging in droves. Often the
most interesting corporate blogs are the ones that are written by the rank and
file.
|
|
|
|
09.23.05
Managing People - Forget The "Sandwich" Technique
 By
Alan Fairweather
Do you remember being told to use the "sandwich" technique when you needed to
reprimand someone? Let me give you an example:
"Fred, I'm really pleased with how you've been progressing since you joined
us and you're doing a great job. However you're not getting your reports in on
time and we're missing deadlines. I'd like you to tighten up a bit on this. Anyway,thanks
for all you've done so far and keep up the good work."
Have you ever said something along these lines when managing your team? You probably
needed Fred to sort out his reporting but you didn't want to upset or demoralise
him.
The only problem is that Fred may not get the message.
The importance of it may be seriously diluted.
He may hear it as, "Fred, you're doing a brilliant job, you just need to sort
out the reporting bit but it's not really that important."
What happens then is, Fred continues to fail with his reports.
The "sandwich" technique doesn't work, it lets you off the hook and it's mealy
mouthed. Be direct when managing your people and they'll respect you more for
it. You are also much more likely to get a change in behaviour.
If you are unhappy with some aspect of an employee's performance then you need
to tell them so. The skill is in doing it in a way that's effective and doesn't
lower the morale of the individual.
Firstly, it's not acceptable to speak to your people just when you're unhappy
about something. Tell them the good news as well. As Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer
Johnson say in their book The One Minute Manager - "Catch people doing something
right" and tell them about it.
Some managers and employers still have this daft notion that if people are doing
things right then that's what they're paid for and they don't need complimented.
Ask almost any employee in Industries throughout the world and they'll tell you
that they don't feel appreciated by their manager.
When you notice someone doing something you do like, tell them about it. When
you notice them doing something you don't like, tell them about it. Whether it's
good news or bad, the same rules apply.
Do it as soon as possible. Acknowledgement of a job well done is not much good
six months later. Also, if you don't immediately call someone's attention to something
you are not happy about, then they'll assume it's okay. Either that or they'll
think you didn't notice or you don't care.
Do it in private. Why is it that some managers still feel it's okay to reprimand
someone in front of their colleagues? Even the mildest rebuke can have a negative
effect on morale.
When you speak to the person use "I" messages. Say things like "I liked the way
you did that" or "I think there is another way to do that."
Avoid "You" messages such as "You're doing great." That can come across as patronising
or insincere. "You're doing that all wrong" may cause conflict, lower morale and
may not sort the problem.
When your giving feedback, focus on one or two things. You'll only confuse the
person if you run off a whole list of attributes or misdemeanours.
Be specific about job behaviour, focus on what the person did or didn't do, don't
make a personal attack.
Allow time for the message to sink in and allow the person to respond. You can
then seek agreement as to what will happen in the future. If the person does not
agree to take corrective action then you need to move to another level. When they
do agree to take corrective action then make sure that you monitor it and give
encouraging feedback.
Being direct with your people is better for you, better for them and better for
you business, so save your "sandwiches" for lunchtime.
About
the Author:
Discover the "3" Secrets of team motivaion. Alan Fairweather - "The Motivation
Doctor" -is the author of "How to get More Sales by Motivating Your Team" To receive
your free newsletter and free ebooks, visit: http://www.howtogetmoresales.com
|
