"There is a foolish corner in the brain of the wisest man."
~Aristotle
Let's face it. We have all said things that were dumb, foolish, and uninspiring. Surprisingly, the reason why so many good leaders say such foolish things is because they often do not recognize them as foolish or unwise. Also, they came up in a culture where the same things were said to them and, just like all of us, they learned how to lead from watching the actions and behaviors of other successful leaders. In this article I am going to examine 6 common expressions that should be avoided by smart leaders seeking to inspire and motivate people to increase their productivity. More importantly, I am going to tell you what you should say instead to still get your point …show more content…
"Do you mind if I give you some constructive feedback?"
This is a classic. I don't know about you, but I just live for constructive feedback. In fact, I often walk up to complete strangers and ask them for some constructive feedback. Seriously, as a leader, of course it's your responsibility to provide feedback to people. In fact, people actually crave feedback. But, please lose the cliche of the worn out term "constructive feedback." Even though people will always say, "Oh, no, I don't mind." Everyone knows that "constructive feedback" is just a code for, "Now let me tell you what you are doing wrong."
Try this instead, "Can I tell you how I think you might be more successful on this project?" Here you have aligned the person's interest with your feedback. We all want to be more "successful" and are eager for good ideas. You'll be amazed at how much better your feedback will be received and how much more comfortable you will feel talking to people about what behaviors they need to work on to get better.
2. "There's a right way and a wrong way to do things around …show more content…
They make it a point to catch people doing things right and tell them how their behavior contributes to the organization's success.
Of course, you need to solve problems, address poor performance, and fix things that are wrong. But praise and recognition are the second most powerful work motivators (interesting work is first) while pay is around number seven. Further, praise and recognition are both free and infinite.
Do not be stingy with your praise and compliments either. I actually know one manager who said, "I do praise those few people who go above and beyond." When I asked him what someone would have to do to earn such praise from him, he scratched his head and said, "Well, I definitely think levitation would certainly be worthy of praise." I bet he's just a peach of a guy to work for.
5. "I don't want to think of me as your boss. Just consider me your friend."
Really? Oh, isn't that wonderful. I get to have another friend in my life. How special. Now, it does seem odd to me to know that you are the only friend I have who can fire me or transfer me to our division in Sheboygan,
~Aristotle
Let's face it. We have all said things that were dumb, foolish, and uninspiring. Surprisingly, the reason why so many good leaders say such foolish things is because they often do not recognize them as foolish or unwise. Also, they came up in a culture where the same things were said to them and, just like all of us, they learned how to lead from watching the actions and behaviors of other successful leaders. In this article I am going to examine 6 common expressions that should be avoided by smart leaders seeking to inspire and motivate people to increase their productivity. More importantly, I am going to tell you what you should say instead to still get your point …show more content…
"Do you mind if I give you some constructive feedback?"
This is a classic. I don't know about you, but I just live for constructive feedback. In fact, I often walk up to complete strangers and ask them for some constructive feedback. Seriously, as a leader, of course it's your responsibility to provide feedback to people. In fact, people actually crave feedback. But, please lose the cliche of the worn out term "constructive feedback." Even though people will always say, "Oh, no, I don't mind." Everyone knows that "constructive feedback" is just a code for, "Now let me tell you what you are doing wrong."
Try this instead, "Can I tell you how I think you might be more successful on this project?" Here you have aligned the person's interest with your feedback. We all want to be more "successful" and are eager for good ideas. You'll be amazed at how much better your feedback will be received and how much more comfortable you will feel talking to people about what behaviors they need to work on to get better.
2. "There's a right way and a wrong way to do things around …show more content…
They make it a point to catch people doing things right and tell them how their behavior contributes to the organization's success.
Of course, you need to solve problems, address poor performance, and fix things that are wrong. But praise and recognition are the second most powerful work motivators (interesting work is first) while pay is around number seven. Further, praise and recognition are both free and infinite.
Do not be stingy with your praise and compliments either. I actually know one manager who said, "I do praise those few people who go above and beyond." When I asked him what someone would have to do to earn such praise from him, he scratched his head and said, "Well, I definitely think levitation would certainly be worthy of praise." I bet he's just a peach of a guy to work for.
5. "I don't want to think of me as your boss. Just consider me your friend."
Really? Oh, isn't that wonderful. I get to have another friend in my life. How special. Now, it does seem odd to me to know that you are the only friend I have who can fire me or transfer me to our division in Sheboygan,