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Employees Are People ...
June 16, 2020
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Mental Anguish Not Recommended …
I had the pleasure of working for Publisher John H. Johnson at WJPC in Chicago. He had an office on his floor of the Johnson building that was used when he had an "issue" with an employee. From what I was told it was more like an interrogation room. Thankfully, I never had a reason to be put in the “hotseat.” It was my understanding that if you were summoned and directed to sit in that office, he would make you wait for an uncomfortable length of time. Psychologically this might have worked for Mr. Johnson, but I do not recommend using a similar tactic unless your intentions are to cause mental anguish and possible loss of bodily functions.Some Things Should Be Discussed Privately …
I worked at another station where the PD and his programming style was put on display for the staff by the General Manager. We'd just had a down ratings book and the GM ordered a staff meeting. He allowed employees a chance to voice solutions on ways of getting the rating back up. It turned into nothing more than an airing of personal grievances. I could never prove it, but I suspect the GM’s unusual open staff conversation was meant to unnerve the PD; and it worked, he resigned shortly after the meeting.Not Recommended …
Today there are still too many people who do not consider the “human element,” when having a conversation with an employee over procedures, rules, and interpretation of instructions. The tactics used in the previous examples might have produced the desired results, but there are better ways of motivating other than fear.Don’t Resort To Negative …
Recently there have been whistle blowers in several organizations (including The White House), concerning management’s poor verbal treatment of their employees. I can’t believe I have to remind people to be nice, but I do. Regardless of the reason, it is one thing to be tough with someone and another to tear them down privately or publicly. People make mistakes unknowingly and sometimes arbitrarily. But even if the person is the worst employee you’ve ever had, cut your losses and let them go, but don’t humiliate them.Positive Feedback …
Informal and frequent feedback can increase the possibilities of pushing an airstaff forward. I always found this to work much better than letting a long list of things add up. If you wait for a formal face-to-face meeting, the staffer becomes tense and less apt to remember any of the positive things you might say. It is next to impossible to teach or motivate if the person is tense and nervous.Try A Little Tenderness …
Giving people information to judge their own performance is much better than telling them what to do. Informative feedback can lead to self-discovery on the part of the employee and lead to a greater bond of trust with the person. There is a big difference between telling someone what to do and giving someone a roadmap to guide them. The latter approach will motivate them to come to you for more things to work on.Be Nice …
The only way to get people into a winning attitude is to teach. Some might not have the right makeup for motivation, but those who do will help your station or stations to operate at a much higher level. The negative folk will eventually eliminate themselves. The key to whatever you have to do or say is ...be nice. -
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