I’ve been in business many years. Throughout my varied career, I’ve met and worked with many wonderful, talented people. I could have said, many entrepreneurs, presidents, vice presidents, directors, consultants, managers, engineers, technicians, sales persons, chefs, guards et al, but essentially, they’re all people.
Maybe one or two of them may have been more automaton than recognisably human, but the vast majority have demonstrated the range of human characteristics and frailties that most of us recognise or have experienced. These are the personal traits that make us all different and interesting, but importantly, also determine how we are motivated.
In my business life, I’m called upon to make strategic, astute and commercially sound decisions every day. As a leader, people manager and mentor, I need to demonstrate good judgment, equality, fairness, sound commercial assessment and perspicacity, leadership, motivation and development skills and many other qualities. One of these additional qualities is to be able to make tough decisions and deliver a hard-hitting message, whether to a direct or indirect report or a supplier/contractor, but always with the expectation that this will lead to an improved position and a positive outcome. In doing so, recognising that we are all human and therefore fallible helps me to temper my delivery. The resulting difference in transmission is no less powerful, tough messages are still delivered, objectives set and business imperatives achieved but the message is communicated in a way that is 'heard' and well received by the recipient.
Tailoring the message to suit the recipient in support of the best and fastest result can only be achieved if I know them well and understand how they are best motivated, hence the investment in time to develop a professional but personal understanding with all members of the team.
Many managers will unconsciously and naturally, employ this tactic. However, it doesn't come naturally to everyone.
Long gone is the management style of my early career. The transition to my current thinking and approach took some time – an element of my own development. I reflect upon my often forthright and goal oriented straight line delivery as a young manager and it's clear that as a result of my direct transactional style, that I may have left some feeling bruised and therefore not in the best position to move forward or make restitution following a tough conversation. I didn't take the time to get to know my team beyond their obvious professional skills, so would not have identified how best to communicate with them as individuals for best effect and outcome. For the most part, being so direct was a learned behaviour. In my formative years I reported to two ex-military managers whose management style was dictatorial and it was their expectation that I adopt the same behaviours. Fortunately, I soon recognised that those receiving a tough message from me, no matter how well deserved, would often retreat as a result of my direct delivery before dusting themselves down and returning to flawless execution.
Nothing’s changed in terms of the end game, but I learned that there’s a better way to direct and that excludes a delivery that is potentially damaging and often confers a period of stand-off that doesn’t move anyone nearer to achieving the business imperative or professional objective. Rather, by investing the time to establish personal contracts and understand the personality and motivational characteristics of each team member - and partners - I can deliver the same message but in differing ways that transmute the message positively for that individual.
Naturally, this approach is not limited to difficult messages; knowing one's team members individually and establishing the best effective communication style and method supports effective direction generally.
Whilst it requires more time and effort, I’ve discovered that there is more reward in personal contracting and working partnerships than merely being transactional. Clearly, there are many successful transactions in business in the purest sense, but what of the day-to-day execution of activities post a successful tender, business agreement or internal hire? Once the initial commercial transaction is completed, how do we gain the most from an internal or external connection?
With my team, I very quickly establish personal contracts, unwritten and very much based upon personal style and communication dos and don’ts. For some managers, this will be an unconscious activity, but for me, I consciously pursue this process early in a relationship and continually refine. I also extend personal contracting to employees of third party organisations working as part of my team on a day-to-day basis. This fosters an inclusive approach to managing the wider team and the embodiment of a ‘one team’ understanding. Working with a personal contract, but always within professional boundaries, builds grace and as the saying goes, ‘grace breeds joy’.
Partnerships are established with key management players from third party suppliers based upon common goals and with a view to a long standing, productive association.
This partnership and personal contracting approach is not infallible, but it’s rare since extending the more inclusive approach to third parties that I don’t enjoy good results faster and with sustained good performance and productivity. Where there’s grace, the metaphorical bridges are removed and on those occasions that demand it, we move into solution mode far quicker than we would otherwise. Clearly, none of this removes or erodes accountability, it does however, foster an openness and willingness that can only benefit all parties - but it does take considerable energy and continuos investment time to make it work.
I am still an ambitious, aggressively goal oriented leader, but these days, enjoy even better success as a result of adopting a more inclusive relationship approach, both internally and externally. The personal investment in time and effort is worth it.
From time to time, our best endeavours, policy and practices are tested.
