Staff Performance – Motherhood Statements That Muzzle Managers

Introduction

Every manager has his or her “pet” theories. They usually start with “every manager knows”, “staff should understand …”, “it’s a management fact that,” or something similar. These “motherhood” statements can stop staff performance stone dead.

The Great Half Promise

“My door is always open”. What comes next? What’s the unspoken next sentence? The clear inference is that you’ll listen to anybody, anytime. Will you: especially if they’re critical? What effect does the “unspoken” have on staff performance? And shouldn’t you as manager be “out there” with employees, finding out what’s important to them on their patch?

The Great Absurdity

“Employee resist change.” It’s just plain wrong. In today’s world, change is normal. This is true both inside and outside the workplace. People, including your employees, deal with change as part of their day to day life. Your workplace is part of that.

The PR Prayer

“People are our most important asset”. They may be. They may not. It’s likely that people are your most expensive asset. How important they are depends on how well they contribute to the success of the business. That’s largely up to you.

The Mistake Muddle

“People learn from their mistakes”. This is true. But it’s not what they learn that’s important. You have no guarantee that mistake will not be repeated. It’s far better that staff do things “right first time”. That way, you don’t have to worry much about their mistakes.

The Idiot Inference

“You know what I mean”: or “you know what I want”. I’ll be blunt. It’s your job to be absolutely sure that employees know what you “want” and “mean”. Never guess. Never hope. Ensure that you’re absolutely certain that staff really do know. That’s your job, not theirs.

The Management Mystery

“We’ll all in this together” or “Everyone’s responsible”. You are the manager. In the final analysis, you’re responsible. That’s something you can’t delegate. If you want staff to feel “in it” with you, provide systems, standards and resources to enable them to contribute fully.

The Great Misquote

“One picture’s worth a thousand words”. This quote’s attributed to Confucius, among others. It’s almost certain he didn’t say it. And its value is doubtful. We live in a visual age. If you use pictures for any business purpose, make sure that the pictures you use will be interpreted in the way you intend. If in doubt, use captions. Newspapers do so all the time.

Conclusion

There are millions of motherhood statements about management. Some are valuable. Some are dangerous. Most fall in between. But it’s amazing how they stick in our subconscious and influence our actions. Mostly, we don’t realize the influence they have.

What To Do Now

Make a list of the motherhood statements you value. Are they authentic? Do they make sense in terms of your experience? Does your business benefit from these beliefs of yours? Do you challenge them regularly? How much do they influence how you treat your staff?