IV: The Players

The Sports Analogy

The team will perform only as well as the individuals on it.

The most important task of a manager is to elicit peak performance from subordinates. There are two ways to tackle

Individual Underperformance

When a person isn't doing their job, there can only be two reasons for it: can't do it or won't do it. They are either unmotivated or incapable of completing the task.

The determining question is: if the person's life depended on doing the work, could he do it?

Motivation

Task Relevant Maturity

Task Relevant Maturity (TRM) tells you what the best managerial style is for a situation and person. We are after the most effective style for a given situation. TRM depends on a specific work environment.

It is a combination of:

• acheivement orientation
• readiness to take responsibility
• education
• training
• experience

Three general levels of TRM:

• structured: task-oriented. What, when, how.
• medium: more focus on the individual than the task at hand; emphasis on two-way communication, personal support, encouragement, and mutual reasoning.
• minimal: minimal involvement; establishing objectives and monitoring.

Structure should move from being externally imposed to internally given. Try to raise TRM as fast as possible. High TRM takes much less time to manage and leads to higher output. If the TRM is high enough then the manager can delegate which greatly increases managerial leverage.

Regardless of a subordinate's TRM, a supervisor should always monitor a subordinate's work. That is the difference between delegation and abdication.

The supervisor has the responsibility to communicate common values.

The subordinate does not have to make his own mistakes especially when it is at the expense of the customer (internal or external). The responsibility for teaching the subordinate must be assumed by the manager and not paid for by the client.

Managers tend to see themselves as better communicators and delegators than they are. A communicating management style is a caring involvement in the work of the subordinate not personal interest or friendship.

Is it ok to have a personal friendship with a colleague at work? Imagine giving your friend a tough performance review. Do you cringe at the thought?