Don't be THAT Boss!

“Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is; treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.  A great quote shared by a co-worker today.

Another quote that is always in my head was shared by my first boss, Dave Franz who said, “If you move a flower from under a big ol’ shade tree and place it in the sun, you can watch it grow.”

Both are simple quotes which focus on getting our employees to their full potential.  How many times have we talked about talented employees NOT reaching their full potential?  Think of those ‘so much potential’ employees.  Who are they?  What CAN they be?  Who (or what) is their ‘big ol’ shade tree’?

In my three decades working with, coaching and being part of teams, I have learned not to underestimate the power of confidence.  Confidence in an employee that they CAN do it, that they CAN solve it, that they CAN fix it, etc.  Also, in my years of coaching, I am surprised at the coaches who say, “don’t strike out” versus “I know you will get a hit”.  Or even better, “look for the steal sign once you get a hit”.  How do you get your employee to set higher goals, bigger targets, faster action?  It all starts with confidence.  Give them accountability and allow them to make decisions.  Allow them to “own it”.  Delegate important projects.  Look for that potential on the fringe.  What will stretch and motivate them?   Success begets success.  Once they see themselves as successful – a whole new world of possibility opens up.

We (and our minds) are often our own worst enemy.  Second thoughts, self-doubt, fear of failure, lack of confidence.  And then compound that with a Boss who does not believe in you…or a Boss who takes all the credit…or the Boss who has the big aura and personality…or the Boss who….  You get the picture.  Don’t be THAT Boss!

How many times have we seen someone prosper after we move them to a new boss, new role, or new environment.  We hired people because we liked them, we thought they could add value, we knew they could have an impact.  Like a marriage, building successful employees takes time and ongoing maintenance.  Even your best employees, if not cared for, will eventually fall from their pedestal.  How do we, as leaders, build an environment to allow our employees to shine?

Some simple lessons I have learned along the way which seem to help make that ‘flower grow’ are, first, it is always important to treat people with respect.  Meaningful and honest respect. Are you straight with them and is there trust?  Next, I think we need specificity about what is expected and what is needed.  Understand what they need to learn and then ‘flip the tables’ and put them in a place to allow them to ‘teach others’ – the best way to learn.  Give them guidance and resources to help them succeed.  Let them know you ‘have their back’.  This is to get folks started.  Help them find momentum and then get out of the way…

Keep that momentum going by making sure you watch their improvement and help them celebrate their accomplishments along the way.  Notice the small things.  Notice.  Acknowledge.  Thank.  Keep raising the bar. 

And finally, what I feel may be most important is to encourage them and support them through mistakes.  Focus on the issue or process and not on the person.  What did we learn from this mistake and how do we change things so it does not happen again?  Understand their psyche and what motivates them.  The ‘platinum rule’ still works – treat others as they want to be treated.  Understand how you encourage one employee may be different for the next employee.  The key point is to encourage them in a way that works for THEM.  The best coaches adjust to their players.

Together.  We.  Win.

Dave Harmon

People Division

“Kindness is Currency”

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidharmonhr

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