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Business Rule #29:
Learn Anywhere and Everywhere You Can
May 13, 2005
(PAGE 3 of 4)
For some, confidence is a matter of having a degree, whether it be a bachelor’s, a master’s, or a doctorate. Maybe if Tana had received her diploma, she would have felt better about herself. As a result, maybe she would have treated her staff with more respect and been secure enough to encourage them to a higher level of performance. Or then again, maybe not.
Most people who attend college eventually leave campus and join the work force—which means they have to pick up some street smarts and business savvy along the way.
Here are two of the most important lessons I have learned in business:
1) Nobody likes a screamer. Everyone gets frustrated and angry when the pressure is on. It’s only human. But don’t take it out on your staff. Let your people know what is expected of them and what the consequences are if they don’t meet those expectations. If you have to counsel an employee, do it in private and without any of the drama.
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Tana said outrageously demeaning things to her team, both to their faces and behind their backs. When Chris Shelton spoke to Tana about coordinating the upcoming schedule, Tana nodded impatiently. The second he was gone, she told one of the sponsors, “He’s trying to tell the boss how to do the job. Someone’s going to get punched.” The sponsor’s face fell. The man wanted nothing to do with Tana. No one wants to hire a manager who browbeats underlings.
2) On large projects, no one does it alone. There are some things you can accomplish without help—but for large events like the challenges Tana and Kendra faced this week, having a team on board makes all the difference.
Tana had nothing but difficulties with her group. Brian McDowell didn’t care about the quality of his work. When hanging the banners, he said, “Good enough for government work—and this is government work.” When Kristen spoke up about the sloppy banner work, the entire team argued like five year olds in a sandbox. “Tell Kristen to go do the brochure and let us hang the banners,” Brian pleaded to his project manager. Tana could have simply told Kristen to focus on her own assignment, taken the matter into her own hands, and then instructed Brian and Chris on how to do a better job. But noooo, Tana joined the debate, which resulted in pouting, sulking, and even more friction.
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No one wants to hire a manager who browbeats
