I got a chance to sit down and talk with yet another inspiring author: Peter Economy. His book, I’m the Boss: The Essential Guide for New Managers to Succeed from Day One, tackles one of the workplace’s biggest problems: the widespread lack of training for new managers. In this podcast, we got to talk about why this is an issue and how we can better prepare managers to take on leadership roles. I hope you get as much out of it as I did.
Motivation for Writing
First, I asked Peter what inspired him to write this book. As a manager himself, Peter noticed that most managers get virtually no training whatsoever. Likewise, when he was first placed into a management role, he had “zero experience” other than what he had gleaned from watching his boss. He added, “And that’s fine if you’ve got a good boss. But if you don’t, that can be a real problem.” Peter went on to say that, according to a Gallup Poll, the number one reason that people quit their jobs is that they have had a bad boss. “I wanted my book to address this issue,” Peter said.
Providing Training From the Start
In his book, Peter mentioned something that really stuck with me. He wrote that practicing without proper training can lead to really bad habits. As in the sports world, you can’t develop a bad habit for years and expect to win, right? I asked Peter to expand upon this idea:
“I used to be a big tennis player and, to get my serves consistent, it took practice and practice and more practice. It becomes automatic. Well, that’s true with the manager too. Once you’ve learned bad habits, they’re going to stay with you forever. And there’s got to be some pretty strong motivation to get you to change those bad habits. Most managers don’t even bother trying to change them unless they’re under extreme pressure. Without that pressure, the manager will just carry those bad habits forward.”
Unfortunately, like Peter’s serving in tennis, managers’ bad habits become automatic. So, what can we do about it? Early-on training is the key, according to Peter. Preferably when an employee becomes a manager for the first time, he or she should receive management training. But when it comes to smaller companies, this is a lot easier said than done. It seems that proper training programs “typically only exist in the largest organizations, like Fortune 500 companies. Those companies have full-on management tracks where high-potential candidates can realize career progression and adequate training.”
Safe to Learn Means Safe to Fail
In Peter’s book, he mentions that developing a learning mindset can help organizations adapt to the rapidly changing environment. But, of course, we equate the effectiveness of a training program with the perfect implementation (or lack thereof) of the skills and concepts learned. In other words, if managers aren’t told that mistakes are a part of the learning process, they can become paralyzed by fear of failing, and so do those they lead.
Peter said, “I think a lot of organizations create an environment that isn’t safe for learning because real learning is all about making mistakes. The best managers make their team, their environment, their organizations a safe place to learn. And being ‘safe to learn’ means being ‘safe to fail.’” Oftentimes, the biggest obstacle to learning is the fear of making a mistake. Managers should build an environment where it’s okay to talk about those mistakes and learn from them.
Immediate Feedback Is Key
Good leaders give feedback. And, according to Peter, “One of the biggest mistakes many managers make is that they provide limited feedback or none at all. Some wait until an annual, semiannual review, or even a quarterly review. But by then, it’s too late to be effective.” Peter went on to say that, when a team member does something good, when they do something right, when they do something that you’ve asked them to do, give them the feedback right then and there. And when they mess up, which is inevitable, feedback should be immediate and constructive. “The longer you wait to give the feedback, the staler it gets, and the less relevant it is.” It’s also unfair to wait until months have passed to address issues with a team member’s work. At any given time, a team member should know where they stand. “It shouldn’t be a mystery,” Peter emphasized.
Delegating Tasks
Speaking of communication with employees: what about delegating tasks? I wondered what Peter thought about effective delegation. What does it look like?
Peter responded, “I think every manager should have a one-on-one with every one of their direct reports every week. In this one-on-one, the manager should go through everything that they’ve assigned to the employee and assess progress.” This shouldn’t be a staff meeting where a whole team is in attendance. Instead, managers should reserve team meetings for information or discussions relevant to everyone.
Motivating Your Team
Other than money, which we all love and appreciate, I was curious about what other rewards systems Peter suggested for motivating employees. Surprisingly, Peter noted that research has shown that money is not the number one motivator for employees. He added, “A friend of mine named Bob Nelson wrote a book, 1,001 Ways to Reward Employees. He did some research and found that the number one way to motivate employees was to give them a simple thank you. I’ve been in workplaces where an employee’s wall was covered with thank you notes that their boss wrote to them. They were so proud of that.”
Could it really be so simple? Of course, there are other effective ways to reward your employees, but according to the research, gratitude is the number one motivator. And the best part, other than the motivation of your employees, is that it doesn’t cost a thing.
More From Peter Economy
If you enjoyed this article, you’ll get even more out of the full interview. In our time together, Peter went over some common pitfalls that managers should avoid, among several other tips for new managers. Of course, the book has it all, so pick up a copy of I’m the Boss: The Essential Guide for New Managers to Succeed from Day One. Go to Peter’s website, https://petereconomy.com, and preview the book, or purchase it on Amazon. As always, thanks for reading!