The safest course for any executive is to assume that there is no such thing as an off-hand remark. Others can make idle comments around the office; the manager had better watch his step. A few casual words, tossed off without thought or even in jest, may be scrutinized for meaning as the ancient Romans used to examine the entrails of sacrificial animals to obtain clues to the future.It's an uncomfortable position to be in. Many chief executives prefer to think that the problem doesn't apply to them: "My people understand me. I don't have to watch every word I say." Unfortunately, they usually learn to their regret that it does apply. Whether or not an executive watches his words, his subordinates are sure to watch them.
The executive has to accept the power, for better or worse, that may lie in his words. He can then avoid remarks that turn people off. More important, he can make a positive asset out of this fact of business life by using his vested power to turn people on .
Turn-offs -- What kinds of things turn people off? The most prominent offenders fall into a number of categories.
The "wish" that turns into an order -- A president says, casually, to her data processing manager, "Gee, it would be nice to have those printouts by Friday because then the guys could go over them this weekend." the DP manager goes back and orders his department to drop everything and concentrate on getting "those printouts by Friday." They are produced on time, but the DP manager did not tell the president that he had to discontinue some activities which were much more important to the company than the report which the president requested. If the president had known of what was being discontinued, she would not have set this priority. Furthermore, once requested, information of this type is frequently reproduced ad infinitum long after its usefulness is ended.These are a few of the ways in which an executive can turn people off without meaning to or even being aware of what he is doing. But the executive can do more than just avoid the negative effects of this casual power he has assumed with the title. He can turn that power to positive use by shaping commonplace words and actions to the objective of turning people on . There are a number of ways to do this.The unrecognized effort -- "We didn't hit quota this half. There are reasons for that which I recognize. But I hope that we will be able to make up the ground with a substantial effort in the last half," says a marketing executive, addressing his five regional directors. His observation is, in general, true.
But it happens that one of those regional directors did make her quota. She drove herself and her people hard to make it. She would like some general recognition of that fact, and this, to her, would have been the spot to receive it. The overlooked director takes the omission as a deliberate slight. "He doesn't really think that much of what I'm doing," she tells herself. "Maybe I'd better look around." The marketing executive wonders, some weeks later, what has gotten into one of his best people to make her so unresponsive.
Not-with-it-ness -- This problem is more or less the opposite side of unrecognized effort. The top executive sends out a memo to his department heads saying, in part, "I appreciate the fact that you have been making a dedicated effort to cut costs. Your efforts have borne some fruit. I am confident that we can continue to build on the good start that has been made by everyone in the division." Up until this point a number of the department heads had been impressed with the memo. But now all but one of them shake their collective heads and smile cynically. "It's all hogwash," they say. "He doesn't really know what's going on." They know that one department head has just come in with considerably higher costs than ever before. There may be factors that explain this; there probably are. But when the boss acts as if he is unaware of the situation, he damages his credibility. It is understandable that he would not single out one party in a generally circulated document, but he hasn't indicated that he even knows about the problem.
Idea-larceny -- The chief executive looks around at her assembled chieftains in the conference room. "I think we're putting together a plan that will fly. There's one more think that might give us even more flexibility. How about taking plant number six -- we're not doing anything with it now-- and bringing it up to a stage of partial readiness, so that we would be able to swing it into the line within two weeks after pressing the button?" Everybody thinks this is a great idea. One individual in particular thinks it is an excellent idea, because he suggested something very much like it two months ago in a report to the executive. Naturally, he is disgruntled. There are many people who would rather undergo the Chinese water torture than have their ideas taken without credit.
Of course, executives receive a great many suggestions. It isn't always easy to remember where they came from or to what degree they were generated by someone else. In this case the chief executive did not deliberately "steal" her subordinate's idea -- but the effect on that one person is just the same as if she had.
Articulate plans in terms of challenge, not correction -- In describing a new program, the executive avoids saying, "This approach will make sure your operation doesn't get loused up as it was last summer." Instead, "This new approach will give you a chance to follow through on the valuable know-how you picked up during the year."Recognize contribution and special effort -- "We still have a long way to go to gear up for the demands that are going to be made on us," says the chief. "However, I know we are all involved in the effort. I know, for example, that Jim Smith and his people have been putting in night after night of voluntary overtime to get back on track, and that it is paying off." These few words will really turn on Smith and his crew and serve to turn on some others as well. Of course, the executive has calculated this off-hand remark carefully, making sure that the contribution recognized is indeed a unique one.
Be responsive to each person as an individual -- Every employee is an individual, with specific needs, hopes, fears and problems. One way to respond to individuals is by simply listening to them. People who air their problems to the boss are not necessarily conducting a gripe session. They want to tell someone, and they appreciate a boss who is not too busy to be told. There are sometimes more positive ways to respond to individuals. For example, it may be possible to make adjustments in compensation which maintain the same dollar total but which take into account the phase of life in which subordinates finds themselves. With some thought and effort, the mix can be varied to make some accommodation to each. The result will be enhanced enthusiasm and involvement.
Keep people informed -- A president, in a seemingly casual conversation, may say to a department head, "By the way, I think you'll be interested in knowing that we are going ahead with the West Coast computer expansion. Strictly speaking, it does not affect your current projects, but I know that you like to keep abreast of things." Such an "aside" gives the subordinate reassurance that he is not just a cog in a machine; he is important enough to be told about matters of considerable weight. The wise executive will be careful to spread her nuggets of information around, not confine them to a few confidantes.
Ask for participation -- An executive is chatting with one of his subordinate managers about the job. The subordinate voices an idea or two about possible solutions to certain logistic problems that do not lie within her bailiwick. The executive does not brush off the contributions politely. Instead he says, "I wonder if I could ask you to do something. I don't know if you've got anything there or not, but I'd like to think about it. Would you just put down on paper an outline of what you've been telling me?
This is sometimes called "employee stretch."