Management Style
Many managers feel that those that work for them need to be lead by correcting the negative. What I mean by this is that they feel they have to point out the things an employee is doing wrong and correct those but ignore what the employee is doing correctly. The feeling is that they will know what they are doing right and this does not have to be addressed. This is an incorrect assumption most of the time. Making sure the employee know the correct course of action and reinforcing this action is as important as correcting the wrong course. Many times it may be more important.
I find that it is equally important - if not more important to point out what an employee does correctly.
Positive feedback will almost all the time give better results than those of constintly pointing out the negative. There is also a way to show what they have done incorrectly in a positive manner. It does not always have to sound like a reprimand.
I've been going through this myself and have been fortunate. My old boss recently took over her old position and I am now under a new management style than I had been used to. She is direct and to the point and you always know where you stand with her. She does a great job at pointing out the positive and negative. This is a nice change as my previous boss gave no direction and little motivation.
Yes, leaders have to find that balance between affiliation (good people relationships) & providing direction & feedback. It really is possible to be too nice & that can be as damaging or maybe even more so than being too much of a controller.
Ryan
I have worked with various managers through my role in Human Resources, and have worked with them on reinforcing the positive work performed by their employees and what success it has led to. Even through general employee meetings and small acknowledgements of emails of accolades. I also have found when working with managers and their desire to correct the negative, the employee never truly knew expectations. I work with my employees with expectation setting at the beginning of the year and change expectations as business needs, and continually ensure we are on the same page!
Yes, expectation setting is huge! How can we expect others to meet the goal & standards when they don't know what they are?
Ryan
As touched on in this course, ambiguity particularly when it refers to goal-setting is not a good thing. Telling someone just to do better is not a goal. It's too broad a brush. Goals should be clearly defined and then celebration should accompany their achievement.
Kenneth,
I agree & this also applies to our feedback whether positive or constructive. If someone does a good job & we want the behavior repeated, we need to be specific in our feedback.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I think my management style has changed significantly over the past 2 years. When I became an admissions director and walked in to a staffing mess, I was very careful as I tried to understand the challenges of each employee and the department. Infact I may have spent too much time doing this which took a toll on results. I think now I have become for effective at recognizing problems and feel confident enough to strive for changes that are needed sooner rather than later.
Zainab,
this is a great testimony that all of us should be constantly increasing & growing in our leadership capacity & potential.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Zainab,
this is a great testimony that all of us should be constantly increasing & growing in our leadership capacity & potential.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
