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It’s annoying when someone questions your authority. Naturally, you might want to remind them you’re the boss with a threat or punishment. After all, that’s what people did to you. As a kid, your parents withheld allowance. As a student, your teachers assigned detention. And when you were an employee, your boss didn’t allow such disobedience.
But before you wield your power, you might want to consider disagreement in a more positive light. As journalist Sydney J. Harris explains,
It is impossible to learn anything important about anyone until we get him or her to disagree with us; it is only in contradiction that character is disclosed. That is why autocratic employers usually remain so ignorant about the true nature of their subordinates.
While threats and punishment might squash bad behavior, they also mute meaningful conversations. When you “make an example” out of a bad employee, you simultaneously scare away suggestions from good employees. Taken to the extreme, you get obedience at the cost of indifference and silence.
Being second-guessed and questioned is a good sign. It means your employees care enough to want to make change. Use it as an opportunity for improvement.
photo by quina para los amigos
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Comments
07.25.08
There are some things that disobedience has lasting consqeuences to the employee and to the company.
Safety regulations and rules fall under this catagory. There's no way that we as a company will tolerate willful disregard for safety. The industry and processes we use are dangerous enough, even when all safety precautions are made, that disobeying safety regulations because "they sound dumb" is cause for immediate termination.
07.25.08
JRandom42: Good point--I can see my advice being misapplied in this manner. Safety is one case that I argue we should be as dumb as possible--use checklists instead of our brain.
07.26.08
Quit thinking punishment and switch to feedback. It creates an actual conversation while limiting disruptive/unsafe behavior. When people understand the reasons behind the rules, they tend to follow them more and can even help to create more effective regulations.
I discovered the concept of feedback at manager-tools.com, and they provide free podcasts that provide good tips on what feedback is and how to use it.
07.27.08
It is impossible to learn anything important about anyone until we get him or her to disagree - I agree
07.27.08
Will, feedback for violating safety rules tends to be very immediate, whether it's immediate termination or getting three fingers ripped off by the high speed lathe.
07.28.08
Interesting... I know that I am guilty of this. I think that sometimes I have to grit my teeth and bite off my tongue when an employee who is new to the job starts to criticize "the way things are done" and I so badly want to explain "the history of why things are done this way"... I try to see things in a different light, but it can be hard.
07.29.08
Thanks all for the comments.
Will Wright: Yes, feedback is very useful and though harder to set up, it definitely worth it.
Heather Cook: We're all guilty of this! That's why even doing it a little bit puts you at a competitive advantage ;) So keep at it!
08.01.08
@Will Wright - I agree with the feedback - even in safety conditions. The reason is that when you threaten an employee, the employee "shuts down" and naturelly goes into defense mode (survival instincts).
But in a feedback situation you are not in a threatening mode and can be easier to reason with him/her as to why the rules are in place - that it is in THEIR best interest as well as others. It shows that YOU are concerned for their safety and welfair.
08.04.08
As a manager, you definitely want everyone on your team to feel like (and actually have) a seat at the table.
Although there can be a big different between healthy discussion and disagreement and second guessing your boss. At the end of the day, your boss is the boss. And sometimes they're going to make decisions you might not agree with.
08.04.08
Shawn: I'm glad you bring up this criticism--ultimately the boss is going to make the decision. I know someone who didn't get this and was ultimately let go for not following the boss's judgment.
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