Lead By Example

“Make it your business to draw out the best in others by being an exemplar yourself.” ~ Epictetus,

How many times have I heard “Do as I say, not as I do”?  This is sometimes expressed by parents to their kids when they mimic their parent's behavior. Imagine if it was the protocol in a work environment. 

It would be untenable if a manager had unreasonable expectations for performance and would not listen to reason or if a manager followed different rules of conduct just because as a manager, he could.  It is a poor manager who berates an employee for not completing a task or for not following safety rules when that same manager chose not to complete the employee's performance review on time or chose not to wear safety goggles in a high risk area. If you expect superior performance from your employees, be a superior manager and inform, instruct and recognize. 

Inform

When assigning a task, ensure you clearly identify the expected results, all milestones that must be met, and any barriers to success that may be encountered.

Instruct

Give your employees all of the tools needed to perform the task. Share industry standards, company benchmarks, and any safety considerations.  Give your employee a list of all stakeholders associated with the task. 

Recognize

Ensure you privately and publicly praise your employee for a job well done.

“Nothing speaks like results. If you want to build the kind of credibility that connects with people, then deliver results before you deliver a message. Get out and do what you advise others to do. Communicate from experience.” ~ John C. Maxwell