I have a friend whose company has done better and better in spite of the downturn in the economy. I have several friends like that in fact. But, the friend I’m thinking of gave me the opportunity the other day to revisit a simple business principle. He called and told me how they were growing and hiring new employees and people were taking on new responsibilities. He then lamented over the difficulty of getting people to do what they are supposed to do and do it right. I reviewed with him five simple pieces of the puzzle that must always be present if you wish to have people manage themselves effectively.
1. Clearly communicate the DESIRED RESULTS
2. Provide and discuss GUIDELINES
3. Put in place all RESOURCES needed to get the job done
4. Establish a means of ACCOUNTABILITY. How and how often will you hold them accountable?
5. Discuss and commit to stand by CONSEQUENCES - positive outcomes for successful execution and negative consequences if not.
The FranklinCovey course, 7 Habits for Small Business Managers, refers to these five components as the essential pieces of win-win performance agreements. When we do this well, we lay claim on the mantra for Habit 4 – Think Win-Win. The mantra for Habit 4 is “Let them manage themselves.” Unfortunately, if we neglect any one of these five keys to a win-win performance agreement, “letting them manage themselves” can be an absolute disaster. All five are critical.
So, in which of the five key factors was my friend derelict? Accountability. He hadn’t really held his people accountable, and he knew it. He understood the principle well. But, there is a big difference between understanding and applying. He thanked me for the conversation and advice. I thanked him for letting me provide some guidance and offered further help. That’s the joy of being a business counselor. We get to do the fun part, and our clients get to do the hard part. But, when they do it well, their payoff is tremendous. And ultimately, when the client's business soars – that is the true payoff for me!
1. Clearly communicate the DESIRED RESULTS
2. Provide and discuss GUIDELINES
3. Put in place all RESOURCES needed to get the job done
4. Establish a means of ACCOUNTABILITY. How and how often will you hold them accountable?
5. Discuss and commit to stand by CONSEQUENCES - positive outcomes for successful execution and negative consequences if not.
The FranklinCovey course, 7 Habits for Small Business Managers, refers to these five components as the essential pieces of win-win performance agreements. When we do this well, we lay claim on the mantra for Habit 4 – Think Win-Win. The mantra for Habit 4 is “Let them manage themselves.” Unfortunately, if we neglect any one of these five keys to a win-win performance agreement, “letting them manage themselves” can be an absolute disaster. All five are critical.
So, in which of the five key factors was my friend derelict? Accountability. He hadn’t really held his people accountable, and he knew it. He understood the principle well. But, there is a big difference between understanding and applying. He thanked me for the conversation and advice. I thanked him for letting me provide some guidance and offered further help. That’s the joy of being a business counselor. We get to do the fun part, and our clients get to do the hard part. But, when they do it well, their payoff is tremendous. And ultimately, when the client's business soars – that is the true payoff for me!
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