I received an advertisement the other day from one of those big off-the-shelf management training providers. You can select from two tracks. One is more basic than the other, but in a few hours, they’re going to teach the room full of students all about anger management, and communication, and … the list is impressive.
The cost is a couple hundred dollars. Seems expensive, when managers only need to remember two things: be honest and respect employees. When those two factors are present, everything else falls into place.
The Past
Management training should be simple. Why do we make it harder than it needs to be?
Some years ago, I was working in human resources when an employee brought an issue to me.
“Rex,” she began nervously, “I have a complaint against my manager, and I’m not sure if you’re the right person to take it to.”
I was a bit surprised, because we had just gone through our annual increase process. Usually around this time, I heard few complaints.
She continued, “Well, you know how we all got raises last week?” she asked. “You may know I didn’t get one.”
“Ah ha!” I thought. I didn’t remember everyone who did and didn’t get a raise, but I did know now what her complaint was: “I want a raise.”
But, that wasn’t her complaint.
“John, my supervisor, told me I was over the pay level defined by the company for my position and therefore I was ‘redlined’ and wasn’t eligible for an increase.”
I was now a bit curious, because we didn’t have defined pay levels. I mean, we were going to pay the maintenance guy less than the CFO, but there wasn’t anything on a sheet of paper to point to and say “See, you can make up to $8.75 an hour, that’s a good wage. Oh, and the CFO can make up to $658,798 a year, plus a $2,500 a month car allowance, stock options, and other perks.”
“But,” she added, “that’s not really what upset me.”
“What was most disappointing,” she said, “Was my partner called me and my check had been deposited, and she was asking me why it wasn’t reflecting my increase. I stammered around a bit and told her I’d have to get back with her. I didn’t have any idea, and I couldn’t tell her why. I couldn’t find John, as he was at a meeting out of town, but a couple of days later he comes to my cube and explains I’m ‘redlined.’”
I was listening with intensity, because I was still wondering when the ask for an increase was coming.
But she continued, “I’m just wondering if, in the future, is there any way we, us employees, can be told with some advance notice that we aren’t going to get a raise?”
And she sat silently.
And I sat silently.
“So you don’t want a raise?” I wanted to ask.
The Future
Great management hinges on two things: the ability to be deathly honest and the ability to ensure we’re always respecting our employees. Management training that reinforces these traits works: training that ignores them doesn’t stick.
My manager hadn’t shared difficult information with his employee in a timely fashion. More critically, he failed to disclose critical information with honesty.
If someone is not to receive an increase, a good time to provide that information is when they can do something about it.
We had no pay levels, so that excuse was the coward’s way out — it’s the way out liars take. Great managers speak openly and honestly with their employees. They give their teams the time and resources they need to improve. John was not a great manager. If he had approached this employee with honesty, she never would have come into my office.
REX CASTLE is a co-founder at friendsTED. He has over 3 decades of human resources, training, public speaking and slide design experience. He also has published 3 books:
- Selecting the Brass Ring: How to hire really happy, really smart people (and pay them really well)(the complete work),
- Why not WOW? Reaching for the spectacular presentation, and a parable of his complete work,
- The Brass Ring: How to hire really happy really smart people (and pay them really well).
His passion is working with organizations to increase ROI through creative and replicable models for everything from hiring to leadership to presentation. He is a strategic thinker, thought provoking facilitator and exceptional business partner.
Rex is employed in the technology industry where he is responsible for social media, online help systems, online training systems and assisting the sales professionals in their presentations and slide design. He also has years and years of experience in the manufacturing and finance industries. He is well-traveled and has lived in numerous areas across the United States, but calls Lubbock home and spends most of his spare time with his first grandchild, reading, and enjoys woodworking.
Source: http://www.friendsted.com/blog/friendsted-blog/the-only-management-training-that-matters/