One of the most impactful books that I have read is ‘The One Minute Manager’ by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson. Listen to it for free here as an audio book through Audible*.
The authors talk about getting the best from people by managing them in ‘slices’ of just one minute each, hence the title.It was so impactful, partly, because it is so simple, something that I love.
The first step in getting the best from people is to set goals and talk through the goals with them and so as to achieve consensus. It sounds too simple, but a mantra that I use along these same lines is “make your expectations crystal clear.” Some of my clients have described me as a broken record player as I say it over and over and over, as that’s how important it is.
If you are able to make your expectations of others crystal clear, here’s what will happen
- people will take responsibility as they know exactly what you want them to do
- you can give regular and honest feedback on their performance (both good and bad)
- poor performance will reduce as a result of these first points
- culture and engagement will improve leading to better overall results
- everyone is happier!
It’s such a simple step, yet it yields so much return. Make your expectations of others crystal clear and most of your problems disappear!