#130: Don’t leave-alone-zap

You really only have three options when managing people at work. The first is the most common, so you’re not alone if this is your approach. Here it is: You hire someone, tell her what to do, then leave her alone and assume that good performance will follow. If she performs poorly, you revert back to telling her what to do. Sound familiar? It’s called leave alone, zap.

Your second option is to hire a winner, someone who is already a top performer. This person is normally scarce and therefore expensive. The third option takes the most effort, but is the most enduring – hire a potential winner and train her yourself.

Kenneth Blanchard has written many books on the subject. He recommends five simple steps to train a potential winner:
(1) tell them what you want;
(2) show them what you want;
(3) let them try;
(4) observe their performance; and
(5) manage the consequences.

No more leave alone, zap.


I’m james@nonsenseatwork.com

Copyright: 2007 James Henry McIntosh

James can be heard on Public Radio, 88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA.
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