Managers, How To Get People To Do Things

Why is it that some managers have great relationships with their employees while others don’t? How is it that turnover can drop, or increase tremendously with the addition or subtraction of a single person? Managers typically have the same or very similar goals, stresses, and pressures. Getting people to do what you want is, for the most part, pretty simple. You don’t have to have a prestigious degree. You don’t have to have the answers to everything. They may help you earn respect, but they won’t get people to do things for you. Respect is key to getting people to do things. The days when tyranny scared people into productivity are all but over. You have to make people feel important.

What Is Making People Feel Important:

• Showing respect to the people with whom you work
• Providing constructive criticism
• Encouraging creative solutions
• Involving your team
• Remembering (and saying) a person’s name – VERY IMPORTANT
• Saying “hello” to people (address them with their name)
• Explaining the importance of a project or assignment
• Listening to concerns (real listening)
• Following up on those concerns

What Is NOT Making People Feel Important:

• Attempting to buy respect
• Providing destructive criticism
• Not listening to critiques made of you
• Assigning assignments and projects with no explanation
• Not involving your team
• Not listening to your team
• Hearing concerns rather than listening to them
• Forgetting about things that are important to others
• Gossiping
• Sexually harassment

I know you can think of others you can add. What else would you like to add to these lists? Leave your comments below.

Comments

[Leeann]

Michael,
I STRONGLY agree with your post. I cannot stress how important it is to really listen to your employees and make them feel important and valued. As you know, I've been unhappy with work, and my productivity has suffered. After speaking with my manager on my concerns, he offered feedback on how to make things better and asked what I wanted and what I thought would help me. He took my requests and started to put them into action and he even followed up the next day. After that, my workload had not changed, but my productivity increased dramatically. I felt better and wanted to do more and do good for the company.

One thing I really liked that my manager told me was "The most important thing in this company are it's people. The product doesn't matter." He really meant it, he shows it, and he continues to show it everyday. I would be willing to follow him to another company if he ever left, that is how great of a manager I think he is and how much I respect him.

[Erica]

I'd also like to add how important positive reinforcement is to keep their employees motivated to work hard for them. A comment from management such as "Thank you for doing such a great job on that project" can go a long way in getting their employees to continue to work hard for them.