Managing People You Don’t Like (Let’s Face it. We Can’t Like Everyone We Work With) | Dream a Career

In a perfect world, everyone on your team is a star player with a fantastic attitude and a go-above-and-beyond willingness to get the job done. Unfortunately, I and many other young managers have found ourselves losing sleep (only because we want our people to succeed! Help ME help YOU!!) over a few “bad apples” we need to motivate (the person we have that dreaded “Help ME help YOU” conversation with). Remember how when we were captains, during PE time, and there stood that ONE kid whom nobody wanted on the team? (Of course, it wasn’t me. Um…yeah, of course, like NEVER.) Maybe you were that one kid, or perhaps you were the popular captain faced with the decision of having to, reluctantly, choose this person. And everyone is whispering in your ear, “No. Not him. No, no, no!! We’ll lose.” Well, unfortunately, I have learned that this situation wasn’t exclusive to my middle school PE time. For better or worse, it followed me well into management and beyond. So how do we work with employees whom we (or anyone else on the team) just can’t seem to get along with? How do we avoid having the awkward “hey listen, sorry, but we need let you go” conversation from ever taking place? And is there anything we can do to help these individuals succeed?

Read more via Managing People You Don’t Like (Let’s Face it. We Can’t Like Everyone We Work With) | Dream a Career.

Praises are for Dolphins: Why Leaders Must Acknowledge, not Praise

There is nothing more debilitating than to have a boss who does not acknowledge your talents or hard work.

And by acknowledgement, I don’t mean the usual pat on the back or saying, “good job” or cheering, “way to go!”

Those praises are for dolphins, usually after routine tricks. (Yes, IT’S FOR DOLPHINS! Very intelligent creatures, by the way. No offense.)

What some leaders fail to understand is that unlike dolphins, employees aren’t looking to fulfill their basic needs by receiving praise.

Dolphins, after a trick or two, are immediately rewarded with savory fish meat.This reward system works for dolphins because they perform routine tasks that lead to routine rewards, which they routinely crave – FISH. Get the routine?

Sure you do!

But what about our employees? What’s their “FISH”?

What we need to understand is that praise may not express sincerity. When we praise someone, we are merely providing approval of an act or a skill. Yes, praising may be a “feel-good” moment. But it is a fleeting moment of vague statements that fails to link the action or the skill to any specific goals, long-term plans, or achievements.

What I have observed is that employees perform better and feel more motivated at work if and when they realize that their bosses are giving them acknowledgement, not praise, for their work.

Unlike praise, acknowledgement is a detailed appreciation of true talent, and it stems from the leader’s understanding, genuine interest, and invested energy in the tasks and projects that employees undertake.

Here are 3 easy steps we can take to acknowledge our teams:

1. Understand the Project

Know what they are working on! Ask yourself if you truly understand what this project entails. Does it require your employee to work after hours? Is it a challenging project that no one else wanted to tackle? How does the completion of this project help your team or company to grow? Understand the challenges of the project and be ready to clarify any goals, if necessary.

2. Show Interest

Micromanaging and showing interest is very different. The purpose of micromanaging is to control and the purpose of showing interest is to encourage. Take the approach of a student. Tell your employees that you want to LEARN how they’re planning, coordinating, and/or coping with stresses and challenges. This is also a great opportunity for you to identify how your employees work under pressure and how they make decisions. Ask questions! Listen closely and provide detailed, constructive feedback.

3. Invest!

Employees (and probably dolphins, too) can easily recognize a disengaged leader. In order to show your team that you are personally invested in their success, you must share your expertise. Identify contacts and provide networking opportunities to help them succeed. Be ready to provide tangible resources, and don’t wait until the last minute to offer help.

In a nutshell, acknowledgement can only be given when you are personally invested in the success of that individual. It is a key process of motivating our teams to succeed. And by helping them succeed, we become better leaders.