It’s Not About the Numbers

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Steve Roesler wrote a post recently about bad managers. Specifically, that nothing happens to a bad manager who is ‘making the numbers’. Even though we all know that something should because he/she is a bad manager. And, that’s because business is all about the numbers. Makes perfect sense, right?

Don’t forget that the only way this line of thinking holds water is if the employer actually told the manager they aren’t performing to standard. And until someone raises their hand and says there’s a performance issue, it’s an accountability issue.

Let me explain…bad managers who are never told they’re bad managers don’t know any better. And if you reward them for making the numbers…well, then you’re telling them that its peachy-neato fine to do whatever they want as long as they deliver the numbers.

It’s called tacit approval. Let’s say a manager disrespects an employee and you don’t coach the manager…then you’re sending the message that the manager’s behavior is acceptable. Here’s another example: an employee walks past a ringing phone, doesn’t answer it, and never gets coached about the importance of picking up the phone…now not answering the phone becomes the new normal.

Take it to another level. If you reward employees who don’t really work but you don’t want to discipline them for fear they might get upset…then you only have yourself to blame. Employees don’t figure out by osmosis that they need to perform better. You have to tell them.

Now, will every employee you coach have an epiphany and correct their poor performance? No, probably not. But, I’ve found that 90% of the problem is they are never told. And, by the time they are told…they’ve been doing it for months/years and now can’t figure out why, all of a sudden, their performance is an issue.

So the next time you see something that’s not right, instead of hoping it will go away or someone else will deal with it…talk to the person. Hold them, and yourself, accountable.