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In the classic manager's guide of
the 80's
The One Minute Manager, authors Ken
Blanchard and Spencer Johnson presented a simple paradigm reversal for managers.
They observed that most American managers use the leave 'me alone, then
ZAP approach. You catch your people doing something wrong,
then communicate and correct. They instead suggest trying to catch
people doing something right and praising them. After all, what
gets rewarded gets repeated.
So once you're caught them doing it right, what's the best way
to reward them with praise that will motivate most moving forward? Here is
a multiple choice question to test your competency.
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Management Motivation Mini-Quiz
The best example for praising performance is...
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"That's really
going to help with your bonus."
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"Thanks! You
really helped that customer out when they needed it."
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"That was great,
I'm going to see that we recognize you at the company meeting."
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"You must have
really learned from that experience."
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"That was
the most beautiful work I've seen in some time!"
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"You have really
helped us to preserve our company's values and traditions."
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None of the
above. It depends on the person you're praising.
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And the answer...
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G. None of the above: It depends on the person.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. You really
do need different strokes for different folks. Each of the first
six statements could potentially strike a chord. And conversely, each
could miss the mark.
Choosing Your Carrots
As stated before: what gets rewarded gets repeated. As a
manager you might find that one of these statements has worked for you in the
past. You might be inclined to adopt it as your carrot of choice. Don't
fall into this trap. A common belief is that motivation is all about
money. Don't be naive. It's a belief that is guaranteed to cost you money.
Consider the people you want to motivate. Do you know them
well enough to recognize how best to connect? Imagine how much more could you
accomplish if you did?
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