What is the Most Important Rule In People Management?
What is the Most Important Rule in People Management?
The single most important rule of management is this:
"Whatever gets rewarded, gets done."
That single sentence should act as the guiding light which illuminates your thinking about managing and motivating people.
"Whatever gets rewarded, gets done" means, you must become extremely conscious of what behaviours you are rewarding.
The sad truth is that, many bad behaviours are often inadvertently rewarded, (think of a mother giving a misbehaving child a bar of chocolate, in order to pacify him).
The same kind of thing happens in your organisation.
Whatever behaviour gets rewarded, gets repeated.
So, don't fall into the trap of accidentally rewarding bad behaviours.
You should note that the opposite statement is also true: "Whatever behaviours do NOT get rewarded, will soon stop."
If a colleague exerts extra effort, over an extended time, obtaining good results for the business, and that extra effort goes unnoticed and unrewarded, you can be sure that they will be less likely to repeat such efforts.
You should be sure that you and your organisation does not accidentally reward the following behaviours.
- Yes-man mentality
- Indecision (the refusal to make a decision for fear of making a wrong one)
- Chronic risk avoidance
These three behaviours are often rewarded, and consequently the organisation as a whole becomes slow to change and adapt, and thus is at risk of being selected for extinction.
It is vital that you and your organisation recognise and reward the following behaviours:
- Constructive criticism of the current set up
- Creative thinking
- Intelligent risk taking
These three behaviours are often NOT rewarded, and often they are even discouraged.
All successful organisations thrive because they encourage these types of behaviours.
Whenever you see a person giving constructive criticism, or creative thinking, or taking intelligent risks, you should single-out that person for praise, appreciation and reward.
The reward does not have to be money, although it could be.
Rewards can come in the form of personal recognition, appreciation, thanks, and career advancement.
You cannot afford to NOT reward risk taking, creativity and constructive criticism.
You cannot afford to reward Yes-man mentality, indecision and chronic risk avoidance.
Remember the following sentences and ponder their important implications:
- Behaviours I reward, will be repeated.
- Behaviours I fail to reward, will stop.
Blogs by Email
Do you want to receive an email whenever we post a new blog? The blogs contain article 5-10 minutes long - ideal for reading during your coffee break!
Further Reading in Leadership and Management
-
How to be a Better Leader
In order to be a good leader you must be able to get the best performance from others; but first you must be able to get the best performance from yourself.
Read Article > -
Where can I find a good team leader training course?
Where can I find a good team leader training course? You may be looking for a good team leader training course. You yourself may be a team leader, or you may be searching on behalf of someone else. The reason for your search is that the role of team leader is...
Read Article > -
How to think logically
Learn to solve your problems quickly. Logical thinking uses reasoning to solve a problem. It involves deconstructing the elements of a problem and then constructing logical solutions to come to a suitable conclusion.
Read Article > -
How to Improve Your Leadership Skills
A leader requires certain key skills to be effective. Good leaders, however, are always developing and honing their leadership skills. They are committed to be the best and to bring out the best in other people, in order to achieve their goals.
Read Article > -
Short management training course
Short training course for managers Are you a manager who has never had any training in management techniques? Is that lack of training resulting in you having difficulty with some of the management issues that you are facing, on a daily basis. What you need is a short management training course...
Read Article >
Looking for Leadership and Management Training?
If you're looking to develop your Leadership and Management Skills, you may find this Leadership and Management Training Course beneficial:
Open Training Course Pricing and Availability
Next Open Course Starts in 14 days, London - Central, places available