Think about your training program for new managers (or, if you don’t have such a program and wish you did, think about what you would want to do). What are the ideas, actions, methods, processes you would convey to them that they would need to do, accomplish or follow in order to succeed as a manager in your organization?
William D. Green, chairman and CEO of Accenture, told the story of such a three-day training session in his company in a recent article in the New York Times. Mr. Green relates that he counted 68 things his managers were told they needed to do to be successful. He continues:
While I agree these are three critical rules for managers – especially caring – Mr. Green’s comments started me thinking about what my “three things that matter” would be that I would want to be sure to convey to new managers (indeed, to all employees). My three:
1) Recognize Sincerely – When you tell someone “thanks,” mean it. Don’t use positive recognition as a means to convey negative feedback in a “compliment sandwich”. Pause in the moment and sincerely and clearly express your appreciation.
2) Acknowledge Specifically – When you stop to acknowledge someone’s effort, don’t leave it at “good job.” Give them specifics about what they did, why those actions/behaviors mattered, and how you’d like them to continue.
3) Reward Meaningfully – Don’t toss of the latest company logo item or assume an employee in India will appreciate the same reward as an employee in Mexico. Either care enough to learn what is meaningful to the individual or give them the opportunity to choose a personally meaningfully gift themselves from limitless options.
What are your three “things that matter” that you would want to be sure new employees know are necessary to succeed in your organization?
