Matt Heller
More books by Matt Heller…
“They will watch how you treat other employees; who gets the "good" schedule and who goes on break first. They will watch how you handle yourself in times of stress. They will evaluate your character when the rules are disobeyed. They will wait to see what you do when they feel they are deserving of recognition or when they have screwed up. They will see if you jump in and help when it's busy or if you hide in the office?
So yeah, they are watching. This is why acting with integrity, building trust, doing the right thing, being honest, and accepting the role of role model is critical. When you know people are watching, you tend to be more aware of what you are doing.
If you need just one more reason to do the right things, think about this. Picture yourself on the witness stand in a courtroom. A lawyer is asking you to defend some specific actions you took as a leader. Can you defend yourself? Can you justify what you did and convince a jury of your peers, beyond a reasonable doubt, that what you did was right and just?
If the lawyer brought up other witnesses to corroborate your story, would they? Are you confident that your actions were observed and judged by others as right and just? It's one thing for you to say it, even to believe it. It's quite another for someone else to back you up.
That's a pretty high standard to hold yourself to, but that's the job of a leader. You no longer get to wallow in anonymity. You are front and center, in the spotlight, and it's showtime.”
― All Clear: A Practical Guide for First Time Leaders and the People who Support Them
So yeah, they are watching. This is why acting with integrity, building trust, doing the right thing, being honest, and accepting the role of role model is critical. When you know people are watching, you tend to be more aware of what you are doing.
If you need just one more reason to do the right things, think about this. Picture yourself on the witness stand in a courtroom. A lawyer is asking you to defend some specific actions you took as a leader. Can you defend yourself? Can you justify what you did and convince a jury of your peers, beyond a reasonable doubt, that what you did was right and just?
If the lawyer brought up other witnesses to corroborate your story, would they? Are you confident that your actions were observed and judged by others as right and just? It's one thing for you to say it, even to believe it. It's quite another for someone else to back you up.
That's a pretty high standard to hold yourself to, but that's the job of a leader. You no longer get to wallow in anonymity. You are front and center, in the spotlight, and it's showtime.”
― All Clear: A Practical Guide for First Time Leaders and the People who Support Them
“When you are going over what you got done on a particular day, you should be evaluating your relationships with employees as much as the tasks that you completed. Ask yourself if you contributed to positive relationships? Is there anyone you should spend a little more time with? Did anyone say anything that you should follow up on? Who are the people you tend to gravitate toward that may be perceived as your favorites?”
― All Clear!: A Practical Guide for First Time Leaders and the People who Support Them
― All Clear!: A Practical Guide for First Time Leaders and the People who Support Them
“Your ability to be fair and impartial will go a long way in building trust and respect among your team. Unfortunately, some people are under the impression that treating everyone fairly means to treat everyone the same--it doesn't.
Being fair is about considering the circumstances. Does one person get more recognition than another? Are they a better performer? If so, then they deserve more recognition, and as long as everyone has the opportunity for recognition, a higher performer getting more praise is perfectly fair.
In fact, it wouldn't be fair if your top performers were treated the same as mediocre performers. They require different things, different coaching, and different ways to support. Applying a "same across the board" mentality will probably do more to demotivate your top performers than doing nothing at all. That's not fair, is it?
Thing is, being fair takes a lot of time and communication. You'll have to explain to those making claims of unfair treatment that just because you didn't treat them exactly like everyone else doesn't mean you treated them unfairly.”
― All Clear: A Practical Guide for First Time Leaders and the People who Support Them
Being fair is about considering the circumstances. Does one person get more recognition than another? Are they a better performer? If so, then they deserve more recognition, and as long as everyone has the opportunity for recognition, a higher performer getting more praise is perfectly fair.
In fact, it wouldn't be fair if your top performers were treated the same as mediocre performers. They require different things, different coaching, and different ways to support. Applying a "same across the board" mentality will probably do more to demotivate your top performers than doing nothing at all. That's not fair, is it?
Thing is, being fair takes a lot of time and communication. You'll have to explain to those making claims of unfair treatment that just because you didn't treat them exactly like everyone else doesn't mean you treated them unfairly.”
― All Clear: A Practical Guide for First Time Leaders and the People who Support Them
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