When it comes to regular surfers of the RMF Blog, I know the numbers of high powered CEOs, executives, and managers are not exactly legion. However, if you are in a position where you have employees that call you “boss” or if you ever plan on being in a position to be called “boss,” listen up. Words of wisdom don’t come around often and you need to be attentive when they do.
Take two fighters that equally matched in the tale of the tape – same height, same weight, same reach, and even same technique. There are always intangibles in a fight. You can call them an “X Factor.” That number one X Factor is motivation.
Jimmy Johnson – head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, and Miami Hurricanes – is a great motivator. All coaches have to be. In athletic contests, motivation can often be the only difference between a Super Bowl ring and missing the playoffs entirely. Johnson had a simple philosophy and one that I greatly adhered to when I was in a position of management. If you perform on the field, you get better treatment.
Some may say that is not particularly fair and equal but I’m guessing that those complaining about equal treatment are not the ones high up on the performance scale. The rule is simple. If you have an employee that goes beyond the call of duty, shows up every day, doesn’t call in sick, is never late (often early), hasn’t taken a vacation in two years, works and plays well with others, can work without being supervised, and performs above and beyond… LEAVE THAT EMPLOYEE ALONE.
And since motivation is critical, you might think that no motivation would be terrible. It is. But want to know something worse? De-motivation. When changes occur that actually de-motivate an employee, your business will suffer. Tremendously. Unhappy employees lead to lesser performance and apathy. It generates a terrible “I don’t care” attitude. It fosters a “just looking out for myself” environment. If you are a boss or when you become one, don’t ask an employee to do something you are not willing to do yourself and if they perform above and beyond your average employee, make sure never to de-motivate them.
Take two fighters that equally matched in the tale of the tape – same height, same weight, same reach, and even same technique. There are always intangibles in a fight. You can call them an “X Factor.” That number one X Factor is motivation.
Jimmy Johnson – head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, and Miami Hurricanes – is a great motivator. All coaches have to be. In athletic contests, motivation can often be the only difference between a Super Bowl ring and missing the playoffs entirely. Johnson had a simple philosophy and one that I greatly adhered to when I was in a position of management. If you perform on the field, you get better treatment.
Some may say that is not particularly fair and equal but I’m guessing that those complaining about equal treatment are not the ones high up on the performance scale. The rule is simple. If you have an employee that goes beyond the call of duty, shows up every day, doesn’t call in sick, is never late (often early), hasn’t taken a vacation in two years, works and plays well with others, can work without being supervised, and performs above and beyond… LEAVE THAT EMPLOYEE ALONE.
And since motivation is critical, you might think that no motivation would be terrible. It is. But want to know something worse? De-motivation. When changes occur that actually de-motivate an employee, your business will suffer. Tremendously. Unhappy employees lead to lesser performance and apathy. It generates a terrible “I don’t care” attitude. It fosters a “just looking out for myself” environment. If you are a boss or when you become one, don’t ask an employee to do something you are not willing to do yourself and if they perform above and beyond your average employee, make sure never to de-motivate them.
It might end up costing you an exceptional employee…
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