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Story

I am a coach for business executives. One of my clients is a president of a multi-million dollar organization. She is the type of manager that had one management style. I call it the Do what I say management style. During one our coaching session, my client asked me why she had to go through so much extra work in order to get her employees to Do what I say. She further elaborated that it seemed like too much work to use diplomacy & tact in order to guide her employees closer to her expectations.

As background on this president, I must point out that her people had made several comments to me, and to her, that she was brash in her delivery. Up to this point, she was unable to get her employees to accomplish anything significant by using her Do what I say management style. It was time for me to have a Come to Jesus meeting with my client.

Advice

I gave my client an analogy that instantly hit home with her. It may seem like a lot of work to pack up your suitcase with clothes and then put it in the car. It may also seem like a lot of work to drive through traffic and then get in a long checkout line at the airport. Furthermore, the added time it takes to get through security and then load your carry-on luggage onto the plane can take up a lot of time too. Lastly, the amount of time it takes for you to wait as other people load up the plane before your flight can be a headache.  All of these things can painstakingly seem like a lot of work. In comparison, it would be much less effort for you to go outside and flap your arms really fast! One way takes you a long time to get somewhere traveling to the airport. The other way enables you too quickly go nowhere flapping your arms. You cant fly by flapping your armsno matter how fast you flap them.

Adjusting your management style may seem like too much work. We must remember that the Do what I say management style is just as ridiculous as flapping your really fast to get to your destination.

Steps

1.       Understand that there are four different motivation styles: money, power, social, self esteem.

2.       Use each style until you uncover one that yields success.

Additional Options

         Go to href="willpowerfirm.com/"> face=Calibri willpowerfirm.comsize=3>willpowerfirm.com face=Calibri size=3> and read the blog entitled Why this horse wont drink under the Career section

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