Grade School Lessons Plan - Adjust To Student/Employee
VANCOUVER BUSINESS JOURNAL
August, 2001

Management Concepts
JONNIE MARTIN


Most of us have some understanding that people come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, ages, types and talents, and yet I often hear managers setting expectations for their subordinates, far beyond what is reasonable or do-able.

We wouldn’t ask a third grader to “run outside, mow the lawn, edge the sidewalks, trim the hedges, and add fertilizer to the flowers.”  We KNOW that those tasks are far beyond the training, maturity, motor control, and self-discipline of a third grader.  We would be lucky to get that kind of performance out of our teenager.  And yet managers make those kind of ridiculous demands of their subordinates.

Sometimes I think that experienced professionals forget that they were not “born” with all their knowledge and experience and training.  They’ve been practicing their trade for so long, that they can’t even remember a time that they didn’t just KNOW what to do.  They’ve forgotten what it is like to be in grade school and middle school and high school and college and graduate school — in the business setting.

Some time ago I was helping a young company put together a strategic plan for the year.  The plan was very aggressive because the owners assumed that every member of their team would be able to handle any part of any assignment.  That people would be “inter-changeable” and would have the technical know-how, the discipline, and the analytical skills to do flawless work without supervision.  They were a little discouraged when I pointed out that their 12-person team ranged from a part-time entry-level minimum wage clerk (at $10,000 a year) up to an $85,000 a year executive.  “Do you really think the work is interchangeable between members of this diverse team?  Do you think these people are the SAME?” I asked.

Sometimes managers are just unable to evaluate the “differences” between various technical and performance levels.  I notice that when I am assisting companies in hiring accounting staff.  I have a strong background in accounting (BBA in accounting; served as a financial officer many years; teach accounting for non-accountants at Clark) but many times the executives I am working with have no grounding in this technical field.  They are unable to evaluate (a) what their company needs or (b) appropriate salary ranges for various technical levels of work.  They don’t quite get it that there is a lot difference between an accounting clerk, a full-charge bookkeeper, a controller and a financial officer.  They’re always hoping they’ll find an aberration — a controller at accounting clerk wages.

It is my experience that entrepreneurs have the greatest problem in identifying and accepting the “differences” between themselves — and their staff.  They’ll often pace the floor, “hrumphing” as they go.  “Why did Bill make such a stupid mistake?  Why didn’t he think ahead?  Why didn’t he think like me.”  “Well,” I say, with a twinkle in my eye, “let’s see.  It may be because you are a business owner with a master’s degree, regularly read business resources and attend Chamber, and have 25 years of experience in this business… while Bill… has a high school degree, 7 years of work experience (none of it in your industry), and is working two jobs right now because his wife is pregnant.”  I go on to mention that “If Bill had your background, by the way, he wouldn’t be working for you at all — but would own his own company.  So let’s be grateful that not everyone wants to be an entrepreneur — and let’s get some training in place to help those people who want to work for you.”

Here’s a few of the hints that I offer to clients, working to develop “reasonable” expectations of their work force.
  • Accept the fact that not everyone thinks like you or motivates like you.  Learn to value those differences.
  • Understand that people come to the work place with a wide variety of histories in education, training, experience and skills.
  • Also know that people come with a variety of personal tools — intelligence, maturity, motivation, people skills, coping skills, self-discipline.
  • People may be at any number of “stages” of life — they may be going to school AND working; they may be raising a family or caring for aging parents; they may be geared up for success or burnt out on life.
  • As much as possible, do a thorough job in the initial hiring process in matching your candidates to the skills and attributes required of a position.
  • Have a good training and coaching process in place to bring your new hire along in learning their position well and moving quickly into an acceptable level of performance.
  • Get to know your subordinates well in the coaching and reviewing processes, along with daily interaction.  
  • Discover their strengths and give them encouragement to keep developing in that direction.  Discover their weaknesses and help them shore those up.
  • As much as possible, once an employee has met the basic standards of their job, allow them to set the pace for further development.  Some are on a fast track; some aren’t.
  • Provide training beyond the skills of the job.  Offer to pay for classes in communication, time-management, conflict resolution, supervision, and other general business skills.

I’ve always loved the story of the Portland business owner who grumbled because his employees weren’t as motivated as him, as smart as him, etc.  Then one day he awoke to the fact that they COULD be if he helped just a little.  He set up a company library and affixed a “bounty” to every business resource (book, video, tape).  When an employee made a one-page report on the resource, he received payment of the bounty — and both the employee AND the company took a step forward together.