Manglement

Issue Du Jour:

We all want to get up, but how we get up seems to be an issue. Is it worth climbing over somebody to get to the top? What if that somebody is your dude, your bro, your homey? Is it still worth it?

NO! No, and no.

It is okay to rise through hard work and performance. But, it is not okay to throw someone under the bus, especially a colleague, even if that colleague is not good. It’s better to let your work speak for itself and to deflect credit when credit is due.

“Billy, you did a great job on that project.”

“Well Tony, I got a lot of help on that project from Allan. He’s a superior employee and I am glad to have him on my team.”

Who’s the hero in this situation?

“Billy, you did a great job on that project.”

“Thanks Tony, but I had to do a lot to carry Anne’s load, she was really worthless.”

Do you see how much better Billy looks in the first situation? Of course you do. Why? Because you are smart. Not like your bosses, who are stupid. Work hard, give credit and you will rise. Just ask my friend Nick.

“Nick, tell us about your boss.”
“Well, my new boss is mean. He always threatens to fire us, no matter how hard we work. We grind and grind putting in new turf, but he is never satisfied.”

“What about your old boss?”
“My old boss, Jim, used to praise us, tell us what a great job we were doing. We worked a lot harder for him because we liked him and wanted to work for him. We got a lot done with him.”

There you have it. Praise, criticize and praise. Simple management advice that even a tire store owner can follow.

Duh!