How many of the five points below apply to you?
They are all positive; the more apply to you, the better.
Below, you will find an explanation of each.
Five signs you are consistent as a manager
When you delegate a task, you always verify it’s been completed successfully.
When someone does something bad, you call them out before they start doubting you don’t care.
When someone does something good, you acknowledge them before they start doubting you don’t care.
You ask people to follow core values not just when they’re cheap but also when they’re expensive (in terms of effort or opportunity costs).
When you ask others to uphold a standard, you uphold it too (even if it’s not your job).
The five signs, explained
1. When you delegate a task, you always verify it’s been completed successfully
Nothing is more frustrating than being told to do something and then getting the impression that no one cares about it.
2. When someone does something bad, you call them out before they start doubting you don’t care
People don’t remember the 99 times standards were followed. Instead, they remember the one time standards weren’t followed and whether something happened afterward (did the manager care?).
3. When someone does something good, you acknowledge them before they start doubting you don’t care
If one of your people does something good on Monday, and you don’t acknowledge it by Tuesday, on Wednesday they will learn the lesson that good work goes unnoticed, and they will adapt accordingly.
And if you acknowledge their good work on Friday, you will recoup only partially the motivation lost.
Even just a one-line email or chat message can be enough to reinforce good behavior before the opposite adaptation occurs.
4. You ask people to follow core values not just when they’re cheap but also when they’re expensive (in terms of effort or opportunity costs)
Poor managers merely tell their teams to follow Core Values. For example, they tell their team always to be ethical. This lets their team wonder, “even if it means we miss a big deal?”
Instead, great managers answer these unspoken questions up-front. They don’t merely say, “always be ethical.” Instead, they say, “always be ethical, even if it means we miss a big deal.”
5. When you ask others to uphold a standard, you uphold it too (even if it’s not your job)
If you tell your workers to wear the helmet while on the factory floor, but then you don’t wear it yourself while visiting, don’t be surprised if your factory workers stop wearing it.
That was it. How many of the five points apply to you?
This article is the fourth of a six-part series of self-assessments on people-management habits. Here are parts 1, 2, and 3. Subscribe to this newsletter to receive the rest over the following days.
You might also be interested in my online course on managing remote or hybrid teams.