Are You Motivating the Wrong Person?

This week I’m pleased to introduce Jessica Edmondson as guest writer on You’re Not the Boss of Me. Jessica is a big fan of Dale Carnegie and his ideologies about leadership. She enjoys learning from leadership best practices.  And, she believes that considering different perspectives on what good leadership means enhances our ability to be effective as leaders. I tend to agree.

=====================================================================

When it comes time to motivate people and effectively delegate tasks, there are all kinds of approaches that work – and many that don’t. You don’t need a business management degree to understand that motivation is different for every person and that the key is to make sure you are motivating the right person in the right way. In other words, as Dale Carnegie wisely advised, “If you want to gather honey, don’t kick over the beehive.” 

The most effective business manager is the one who can identify and work with individuals’ different personality types and work styles. Effective leaders who take the time to understand what motivates their team members are typically the ones who get the best results from their employees.

Sometimes, however, leaders will steer their energies in the wrong direction, either by trying to motivate the wrong person or by delegating tasks or responsibilities to the wrong person. This can happen unintentionally, the result of our common bias to favor like-minded people over those who hold opposing opinions or viewpoints.
Let’s look at a couple of common problems and examine how we can make adjustments that produce the best results without letting our biases get in the way.

Delegating to the Wrong Person

Delegating is beneficial to an organization only if it’s done strategically and with clear objectives. Leaders who delegate well not only provide their employees with key opportunities to improve their skills and demonstrate their competence, but also they give themselves the time they need to better perform their own tasks.

But trouble can arise as a result of delegating to the wrong person. It’s critical for leaders to take the time to get to know their team members so they can match strengths and skills with the jobs that need to be completed. If a task is assigned to someone simply because this person should be able do it, this can affect the productivity of the whole organization, potentially putting careers of both managers and team members on the line.

Unconsciously Practicing Favoritism

Supervisors and workers alike tend to gravitate toward others who are similar to them, whether it’s because they share a common work style or have matching opinions about a business’ objectives and vision. People do this outside of work, as well, perhaps because they think it’s easier and keeps them inside their comfort zone.

In the workplace, a manager may assign the same duties to the same people over and over again, simply because “that’s the way it’s done” or because this person did the same task well once and can be counted on to do it well in the future. This type of favoritism, however, will likely discourage the bypassed employees, who may want to try their hand at something different.

As with misplaced delegation, favoritism can breed resentment and jealousy, and lower morale among the team members. While it may not be a comfortable exercise, it is important for supervisors to examine whether or not they are favoring certain employees simply because they are easier to motivate or because they may be easier to connect with than other workers.

Ultimately, motivating employees and team members is about creating opportunities for them to demonstrate and enhance their skills through work that is meaningful, intentional and clearly defined. By addressing biases, leaders allow themselves to know how, why and when to motivate the right people for the right work.

What do you think?

Jessica Edmondson contributes on Management and Online Business Degrees for the University Alliance, a division of Bisk Education, Inc. 

Wanted: Senior Executive: Must Play Golf ~ Really?

From time to time, I have a little rant.  I’m not sure what triggered this one.  Well, yes I do.  It was a short blog post by Patrick Allmond entitled, “Do I Really have to learn how to play golf in business?”  It made me think.  I hope it, and my thoughts below, do the same for you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I don’t know when the game of golf became a major player in a person’s professional success.  Nowhere have I seen it written in a job description or in executive search material that the successful candidate must play golf.  And yet, in major organizations across North America, golf has somehow insinuated itself into the corporate culture to the extent that even those who have little facility for the game or inclination to play, are doling out money for clubs, memberships, lessons and other golf accoutrements because they think it will help them get ahead in their careers.

Well, according to some, it will.

In fact, an academic study using data from 1998 to 2004 found that executives, who play golf, typically earn more than those who don’t, especially if they play well.

In 2011, an article entitled, “Why Golfers Get Ahead” appeared in The Economist.  It makes reference to the above study and talks about the benefits of playing golf with clients and prospects.  It also points out that while executives who play golf tend to be paid more, they do not characteristically earn more in shareholder value.

I found, too, an article in About.com written by Linda Lowen entitled “Breaking the Grass Ceiling: Women Playing Golf.  In it, she writes,

“According to the Grass Ceiling Inc. (a consulting group which offers golf workshops for executive level women and minorities), any woman aiming for a senior management position can’t afford not to play”

There seems to be an obvious bias there but nonetheless, statements like this serve to feed the notion that if you are an executive and you want to be successful, you’d better jolly well learn how to play golf.

Okay, so I like golf.  My husband and I used to play.  And, even though I was never very good at it, it helped me learn about myself (the good, bad and ugly); gave me an opportunity to meet people in beautiful surroundings and also enjoy time with my husband.  So what’s not to like?

In business, playing golf with clients helps build networks and valuable relationships.  And, it reveals a lot about one’s character and level of emotional intelligence.  I get that too.

But, my question is this.  How did we get to a place where we allow golf to decide who’s in and who’s out?

None of us should feel that to find success in our business relationships or rise to the executive ranks, we must learn, and play, golf.  Frankly, I find that notion ludicrous and seriously discriminatory.

Golf is a great game.  It is also handy as a business tool for those who enjoy it.   But, it is a game. It should not be a determining factor in a person’s professional success.   Organizational cultures that exclude people either consciously or unconsciously, simply because they don’t play golf need some serious examination.

Perhaps it was a good fit in the 20^th Century.  This, however, is the 21st Century. There are an inordinate number of ways to make connections; build business relationships and close deals.  Instead of trying to fit ourselves into an old archetype, surely we can branch out, explore, and learn to value the variety of ways available to us that will give us the results we want.  Besides, there is nothing magical about golf.  To some it is simply “A good walk spoiled”.

What do you think?