Management 101: How to Manage Employees

What are the secrets to motivating employees to greater productivity?

How do you effectively manage others?

Unfortunately, there is no secret to motivation (although countless books have been written on the subject). Effective management on the other hand is relatively simple (but not necessarily "easy").

An understanding of three simple concepts will start you on the path to effective management.

Our first step:

Recognize your management philosophy.
"Management philosophies" try to explain why employees "work." Therefore, what actions you (as a manager) take (to get more work done or "increase productivity") are influenced by your management philosophy.

Everyone has a management philosophy, whether they realize it or not. Over the years you have probably been the recipient (or victim of) various management styles. The effectiveness (or lack of effectiveness) of these philosophies has influenced you.

If you have ever thought "I would do things differently if I was in charge" then you were developing you management philosophy.

Theory X and Theory Y
Theory X, and Theory Y are two different theories of human motivation (why people work). Theory X presumes that people are inherently lazy and try to do as little work as possible. Theory Y presumes that people are self-motivated and want autonomy and empowerment.

Imagine that you have a donkey pulling a cart. You have two options to get the donkey to move: hit the donkey with a stick, or put a carrot on a string and dangle it in front of the donkey (and hopefully the donkey will move forward trying to get the carrot).

Examples:
Professional football Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi illustrates the "Theory X" manager. Lombardi's teams were very successful, and he cared about his players. However, he believed that human nature was simply "lazy" (and therefore must be figuratively "whipped" to move).

Another Professional football Hall of Fame coach, John Madden, illustrates the "Theory Y" manager. Madden's teams were also very successful, but he seemed to believe that the players would perform best when allowed to "motivate" themselves (and if they want that "carrot" they'll work to get it).

Both coaches where "vocal" (they communicated with their players at a high volume) but their underlying management philosophies were different. Vince Lombardi was a "drill sergeant." John Madden was an "instructive cheerleader."

Reality:
Of course, these are simply examples. I have no idea what Vince Lombardi or John Madden were actually thinking when they coached (but I've read several books on Lombardi, read one of Madden's books - and listened to him broadcast football games for 20 years).

No one is completely one way or the other. If we drew a line with Theory X on one end and Theory Y on the other, then Mr. Lombardi and Mr. Madden would fall somewhere in between the extremes:

Theory X ---------- Lombardi -----o----- Madden ---------- Theory Y

A few problem arise with Theory Y and our donkey. If the donkey isn't hungry, he won't work to get the carrot. Now we either have to find something that will motivate the donkey, or use the whip (or make sure the donkey is hungry when we need him to work). If you never let the donkey get the carrot, the donkey will stop working to get it.

Remember, I didn't say it would be "easy" just "simple" (Theory X may appear easier, but will have long term consequences).

What is really important is that you examine your "management beliefs."

Next step "Situational Leadership"