Getting to know your people is just one step in being a motivational manager, but it’s a critical one. Almost everyone
wants to know that someone is genuinely and positively interested in them. If they know you care about them, then
your relationship will be much more productive
2. Spend
some
qualitytimewith your individual
team members
14 WINTER 2016 | MASTERCAST™
CONNECTION
MANAGING PEOPLE WELL IS A HARD JOB; there
are many managers who believe they manage well
and then go on to tell you about the hassles they have with some of
their people and how stressed it makes them feel. That is not what
managing well is about; managing well is managing people in a way
that’s easy for you and ensures you achieve your desired outcomes.
Still, a manager’s job is tough because every member of your
team is different.To make your job easier and achieve your outcomes,
you need to get to know your people—you need to spend quality
time with individuals.
Here are my thoughts on why we should do this and what benefits
it brings:
Benefit 1: You get to understand them better
One of my clients was an industrial equipment hiring company and
one of the company’s teams was supervised by Steve. Steve was a
real problem child, always complaining or whining.Yet even though
Steve was difficult to deal with, he did a pretty good job. I ran quite
a few courses for this particular company and regularly came into
contact with Steve in and around the office. He usually just grunted
as we passed and gave the distinct impression that he didn’t think
much of me.
One day I was sitting waiting in the reception area to see Steve’s
supervisor; Steve appeared in reception, gave his usual grunt and
sat down, also waiting for a word with the supervisor. My natural re-
action was to let Steve stew in his own juices. However, I decided to
practice a bit of what I preach and asked him: “How’s that football
team of yours doing in the league?” I knew Steve was a big football
fan and my interest and questions started him talking. I’m not a
football expert, but I knew enough to keep the conversation going.
After a while, I asked him, “Are you married Steve?” “Yes, why?” he
said, as if no one had ever asked him that question. “Been married
long?” “Yes, 12 years.” “Any children?” “No, but Jo’s pregnant at the
moment.” He then went on to tell me how they both wanted children
BY ALAN
FAIRWEATHER
3. 15MASTERCAST™
CONNECTION | WINTER 2016
very much but they’d had lots of problems in trying to start
a family. I just expressed interest and understanding and
kept listening.
From that day forward Steve and I had a different rela-
tionship. When we’d pass in the office or the yard it was al-
ways, “How’s it going, Al?” I’d respond with a joking remark
about his football team or enquire how Jo was doing with
the new baby. My point here is that Steve was always going
to be a difficult guy to deal with and I knew that we would
never be best buddies. However, I do know that if I had been
Steve’s boss, we could have worked pretty well together.
This story always reminds me of something Abraham
Lincoln once said: “I don’t think I like that man, I must get
to know him better.”
It’s very easy for a manager to fall into the trap of con-
demning a no-hoper or a problem child. However, you need
to try the Abraham Lincoln theory first.
We’re not just talking about difficult members of your
team; we’re talking about all of them. As Dr. Phillip C. Mc-
Graw says in his book, Life Strategies: “The number one need
among all people is acceptance.”
Benefit 2 – You find out how they’re handling
the job
Beyond getting to know the members of your team on a per-
sonal basis lies the need to get to know them on a business
basis. I’m not talking about asking, “How’s the job going?”
Too often the response is complaints or the word: “Fine.”
In some ways it’s better to get the complaints, because then
you have a chance to do something about it or at least show
you care. Like with good customer service; you really need to
hear from the people who aren’t happy so that you can put it
right. Too many customers don’t say anything but moan to
other people. Does that sound like any of your team?
Here’s an example: Brian is general manager for a small
construction company who always seems to have a high
turnover of staff. One day he tells me, “Had to get rid of an-
other girl today; totally useless and wasn’t doing the job
properly.” I asked him
how he hired and
conducted initial and
ongoing training.
“When they start
on day one I put
them with Susan;
she’s been here for
years and she knows
the ropes. Susan su-
pervises them, keeps
them right and lets
me know if they haven’t worked out.”
“But who’s their manager?” I asked him. He said he was.
“Do you ever check to see if they understand the job?”
was my next question.
“I ask them how they’re doing and they usually say ‘Fine!’”
You can imagine what Brian is paying in recruitment
costs, over and above the hassle of interviewing, starting
new people and then getting rid of some of them. Spending
a bit more time with new employees could reduce his costs
and his stress.
You need to know how your team members are handling
the job so you need to ask the right questions.
“THE NUMBER
ONE NEED
AMONG ALL
PEOPLE IS
ACCEPTANCE.”
— Dr. Phillip C. McGraw,
Life Strategies
4. 16 WINTER 2016 | MASTERCAST™
CONNECTION
Benefit 3 – It helps you deal with
problems
One of the main benefits of spending time
with your team is that it lets them know
you’re there to help with problems. Of
course, you’re not there necessarily to solve
their problems but to coach them to solve
their own.
It also gives you an early warning of any
personal or business difficulties that could
occur. Team members might tell you about
a child having difficulties at school that
could lead to something more serious or
indicate a problem in their marriage or re-
lationship. Likewise, it gives them an op-
portunity to talk about job concerns. In
this way, you can see the storm clouds
brewing or just a squall, but one way or another you’ll be
ready.
Having regular contact with your team prepares you for
any potential business situations such as failing to meet a
target or product supply hold-ups or anything else that will
affect outcome.
Benefit 4 – Your team gets to know you
Spending time with your team lets them get to know you.
When I’m running a training course, particularly one that
goes for a few days, I’m often surprised by the participants’
interest in me. Sometimes I think it’s just polite conversation.
However, most of the time that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Your team will want to know about you at both a personal
and business level. That doesn’t mean sharing your intimate
thoughts, but it’s similar to the things you want to know
about them. Even when team members don’t ask you about
yourself, tell them. Reveal bits and pieces about yourself
over a period of time. Good professional speakers know this.
They let their audiences know various things about them-
selves that show their idiosyncrasies or little mistakes
they’ve made. What you’re really saying is, “I’m human, I’m
like you, I experience the same situations.”
Benefit 5 – You have the opportunity to give
them feedback and coach them
This is one of the most important things a motivational
manager can do; your opportunity to tell them the things
that you like about their performance and things you don’t
like. Too often managers leave feedback until a performance
review.
When managers see things they don’t like they often put
off speaking to the team member about it
until things become really serious. Mean-
while, commenting on things they do like
isn’t generally done often enough.
When you spend time with your team,
it gives you an ideal opportunity to coach
them on the job.
Benefit 6 – They have the
opportunity to give you
feedback
If you create a healthy open environment
with your team, they should feel comfort-
able giving feedback. It may not always be
what you want to hear, but it can certainly
improve your relationship with them.
Benefit 7 – It encourages
opinions and ideas to flow
Members of your team often have positive suggestions that
will benefit the team, the business and you. However, they
may not always be willing to seek you out and tell you about
them. If you’re spending time with them, this is the ideal
opportunity for them to present thoughts. Of course, you
sometimes have to dig this out and encourage it.
Not all of their ideas will be successfully implemented.
However, encouraging ideas builds the team member’s con-
fidence in you and the organization, and it’s good for morale.
Benefit 8 – It allows you to explain the
company’s mission and the team’s role in it
When you spend time with individuals within your team, it
gives you the opportunity to explain how the business is go-
ing and how the team is performing. This is often done at a
team briefing. However, in a one-on-one situation, you can
discuss this in more depth and encourage ideas and feed-
back. People at work want to know what’s going on, and
they want to feel involved.
Conclusion
Getting to know your people is just one step in being a mo-
tivational manager, but it’s a critical one. Almost everyone
wants to know that someone is genuinely and positively in-
terested in them. If they know you care about them, then
your relationship will be much more productive. Ⅲ
ALAN FAIRWEATHER is an international speaker, best-selling author and
sales growth expert. Reach him at www.themotivationdoctor.com. This
article is an excerpt of one chapter in “How to be a Motivational Manager.”