Today is a smile day. A coaching day you like. Everyone is doing OK. You have, well, no issues. Life is good and so is your team.
As a manager and leader, I have been blessed with good. I mean good, no really, great people as part of my team. I really have and I am constantly asking myself, how do I share ‘good’ with already ‘good’? Do you get it? What if your team not only makes you smile, they also hit their objectives and people like hanging out with them? You don’t have to fix anything. Imagine that. By the way, pay attention, we should be doing a hell of a lot more of this type of coaching. You are doing great, dude.
Part six is about maintenance…Michele and Tim.
Headline: How do heap on the good?
Michele has been with you for years. She loves what she does and is first to say she will help. Her numbers are good to great and she is hitting her objectives without blinking. You know she typically needs a little more context when setting goals. She is not a surface learner…she needs a bit more direction. When she has it, watch out. You absolutely never have to worry about the quality of her work. Now, she works best on her own and that means you do not have to micro-manage her at all. She is doing great!
Tim has been with you a shorter amount of time. He is anxious and wants to be very involved. He also works very much on his own. He is the big thinker. Like Michele, you have to give him the context and then something else. He needs a challenge attached to the obvious goal. Something unexpected. This helps him figure out the three inches in front of his face and then the five feet beyond. He likes that. He doesn’t need a lot of one-on-one. As long as you keep in touch and keep him on course, he is good. In fact, he is doing great.
I think we miss these opportunities as managers and leaders. We feel the need to give feedback. You know, some improvement oriented feedback. And the unfortunate connotation of feedback has been taught as “here is what you are doing wrong.” But what if they are doing everything right? Or how about this, while they are not perfect, they are doing well right now. Have we missed that moment? Have we missed the chance to say to someone we value…”I appreciate all that you do and I especially appreciate your effort today”?
To be fair, we are instructed by those above us to make sure “x” happens. And the manner we are instructed are pointed in the direction of fixing or re-adjusting behavior. Again, what if the behavior is good or great? I believe, wait for it, we still look for something to fix and unfortunately not something to celebrate.
Michele is not pretentious. She likes praise, but not a lot of it. She, like almost every human being on the planet, enjoys a verbal pat on the back. Simply say “Thanks. I especially like the consistent enthusiasm you bring to the team. You always say that you will help out and I see so much value in your team spirit”. Something that presumably small can have an amazing impact with people.
Tim needs a bit more but not much different. Yeah, “Hey Tim, good job.” He is already thinking about the next thing. He needs to know you trust his decision about the thing that hasn’t happened yet. Does that make sense to you? He is OK for the moment and is wondering about the next thing. So “Thanks Tim for your effort today. I really appreciate your staying on task and keeping everyone’s focus and, you know what, I have an idea to change some stuff up, I would like your input.” Would he do something else? Why? Cuz you let him?
Let this be the lesson today. Praise good…as much as you can. It is not complicated. In fact, do not make it complicated. Praise your people in the moment and especially praise them way they want it most. Make it quick and easy. Life is short and people need to know they matter.
You see, people strive to do a great job when they wake up in the morning. What would happen if we said directly to them, they did that today?
Cheers