First, Break All the Rules

First, Break all the Rules-2

"First, Break All the Rules!"

Summary from the book written by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman

Comments from one great, but unconventional manager:

·  Never pass the buck; never blame "corporate"

·  Make few promises, but keep every promise made

·  Desire to make every employee become more of who they really are

·  Be willing to treat each employee differently

·  It's okay to become close friends; you need to know who you're managing

·  You cannot change people; but you can facilitate a trusting nature

The Measuring Stick--

·  Great people aren't always motivated by the same stimuli

·  Finding what draws and keeps great employees is the challenge

·  Spiffy work stations and bright cafeterias might be a waste of money

·  Findings were that it was the manager, not the benefits, pay, perks, or charismatic leader, that was critical in building a strong workplace.

·  Findings concluded that employees considered the following vital for a strong and productive workplace: (1) Make sure your employees know what is expected from them; (2) Provide them with the materials and equipment to do their jobs; (3) Provide them the opportunity to do their best everyday; (4) Be sure to recognize and praise good work on a regular basis; (5) Care about your employees as people; and (6) have someone encourage employee development.

·  Evidence suggests that while perks and benefits are important, it is the immediate manager who is the most important person. The person who defines and pervades the work environment. We are apt to stay in or leave a job based on our immediate supervisor as opposed to our benefits package.

·  Key summary: if employees don't know what is expected from them, don't expect them to be excited about being "on the team." If they don't know the role they are to play or how the manager feels about them, then don't expect them to get on board with changes and innovations within the organization.

The Wisdom of Great Managers--

·  F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, "the test of first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still maintain the ability to function."

·  The manager's role is the "catalyst" role; to speed up the reaction between two substances (employee talents and company goals), thus creating a desired end product. When this is done by many managers, the company becomes strong, one employee at a time.

·  Every great manager must be able to do four activities: (1) select a person; (2) set expectations; (3) motivate the person; and (4) develop the person. Other people and other departments can assist here, but ultimately it is the immediate manager who is responsible for them.

·  The difference between a great manager and a great leader is one of focus. Great managers look inward; inside the company to its employees. Great leaders look outside the company; to broader more long-term visions. But not really in developing the employee skills. The two are separate and often different. One may be a great leader but a bad manager and vice versa. On rare occasions someone may be both.

·  Each manager should employ a style best for themselves and stay focused on the four core activities noted above. Companies would be wise not to force managers to manager all the same way.

·  Some revolutionary insight for managers: "People don't change that much….Don't waste time trying to put in what was left out….Try to draw out what was left in…and that is hard enough."

·  In sum, the catalyst role is essentially this: When selecting someone, select for talent, not simply for experience, intelligence or determination. When setting expectations, define the right outcomes, not just the right steps in getting to the outcome. When motivating someone focus on their strengths not on their weaknesses. And when developing someone, help them find the right fit, not simply the next step up the corporate hierarchy.

Selecting the Talent--

·  Great manager sees talent as "a recurring pattern of thought, feeling, or behavior that can be productively applied." Your talents are your behaviors that you find yourself doing often. The key is to match between your talents and a role in the company.

·  Conventional wisdom says that experience makes the difference, that brainpower makes the difference, and that willpower makes the difference. But it fails to recognize that there are many kinds of talents and the right talent for the right role is more valuable than experience, brainpower, and willpower.

·  People can learn new skills and acquire new knowledge. But the great manager believes that we cannot fundamentally change what was established long ago; that no amount of coaching or encouragement can change what we are. Therefore, managers must manage us based on the talents we can provide the organization.

·  Managers should see this is merely confirmation that people are different. Understand this and channel it toward productive behavior.

·  We can build on factual knowledge (things we know) and experiential knowledge (what we understand along the way of life).

·  Two myths: Talents are rare and special….and some roles are so easy that they don’t require talent. First, talents are simply recurring patterns of thought, feeling, or behavior. Though we can cultivate and enhance our talents. Managers are not expected to “teach” talent, but rather to match the talent of the employee with a role in the company. Not always easy to find the right role for the right employee. And we do not all excel at or enjoy the same roles. In the minds of great managers, every role performed in the company with excellence deserves respect and each role has its nobility.

·  The great managers try to identify one critical talent in each applicant. The secret to finding good talent lies in effective interviewing. It is more than just evaluating how they manage stress and how they appear.

·  Talent is only potential; and potential talent cannot be turned into performance in a vacuum. Great talent needs great managers.

Define the Outcome—

·  Managing by remote control….only the worker has the control to do the job; the manager is at least one step removed. Managers must retain control and focus people on performance. We can’t force people to all behave the same way.

·  Set outcomes; establish the end result that is needed and then allow the employee to use his or her own talents to reach those results. A one-size-fits-all approach or a specific step-pattern does not allow individual talents to emerge.

·  Defining the right outcome does expect a lot of employees, but there is probably no better way to nurture self-awareness and self-reliance in your people.

·  Why do so many managers attempt to control their employees? Often due to how they were trained and our history of beliefs. The “one-best-way” of doing things (the cookie-cutter approach) fails to tap into each person’s talents.

·  And some managers have a fundamental mistrust of people; and therefore are reluctant to let each employee find his or her own route to performance.