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Persuasiveness Trumps Power
Autocracy is out. So how do you manage people?

BY: MICHAEL STERN February 23, 2004

If you tell people to do something, he complained, they get their backs up. And if you ask politely, they're just as likely to say no.

I sympathize with anyone who finds the workplace getting more confusing than ever. We've learned to adjust to computers that crash for no reason and increasingly complicated political correctness guidelines. But the most confusing area involves directing subordinates -- because nobody takes orders from anyone anymore.

Many managers today have good reason to envy Mr. Dithers and the other old 1950s-style bosses in popular culture. When they said "work," Dagwood and all their other employees didn't ask why, they asked "how late?"

In today's offices, though, power is distributed more equitably. Part of that stems from the ever-growing web of regulation -- from workers' rights to severance policies -- that makes people feel more secure in their jobs. Also, with two-income families being the rule not the exception, there is less economic requirement to jump whenever the boss says so. Mainly, however, a sense of security has arisen because information workers, as so many of us are today, carry so much of their jobs in their heads.

From receptionist (if you can still find one) to VP, most workers today create value not by producing things, but by managing networks of contacts, processes and information. If you mistreat or otherwise demotivate an employee, those networks might just run a lot less efficiently for a while - and no one will ever know why.

And if you terminate an employee, the way Mr. Slate used to fire Fred Flintstone every other week, you create a gap in these networks that could take weeks or months to repair. Effective executives must learn to manage through personal persuasiveness and goodwill, not through power or intimidation. Truth is, these are characteristics that many people lack -- and you don't tend to learn them in school.

So how do you get things done without resorting to force - or bribes? The key is to make people feel that they are valued, and that so is their work. People will tolerate more frustrations, longer hours or heavier workloads if they believe the organization appreciates what they do and is willing to recognize it and reward it.

To begin, set out clear directions. Make sure people know what you want to get done, and for best results make sure they know why. Full disclosure shows respect and ensures that your team shares your vision. It also gets everyone moving in the same direction and helps employees make better decisions when independent action is required.

Follow-up is equally important. Make sure your directions have been followed. Provide lots of feedback, both good and constructive. (And remember: always praise in public, correct in private.)

Equally important is the feedback you get from your employees. Actively listen to their comments and questions. If you can adapt staff members' suggestions for changing the job or improving the process, you will find them buying-in to your tasks with renewed vigor and confidence.

Encourage improvisation and creative solutions. Don't punish those who make honest mistakes. As Kurt Hanks writes in his book, Motivating People, "We empower people when we teach them how to think critically and make decisions on their own. Well motivated people are those who are free to think and free to grow."

Institute recognition programs that are just and fair. And make sure the rewards for performance go to the people who did the work, not just their superiors.

In the end, the best people motivators are simply "people people" -- likable and fair, with a zest for life and a will to win. The type of person nobody likes to let down.

Of course, there are still a few old-fashioned bosses left. I know one CEO who insists on getting his own way. He knows no agenda but his own, delights in hearing his own long-winded musings and regularly berates his people in public.

And he wonders, why is it so tough to find and keep good help? And whatever happened to company loyalty anyway?