Go ahead prove me right... I dare you

They say there are a 1,000 ways to skin a cat.... (ewwwww!!!). The gross out factor aside, its very true that there are many management styles, and no one can say any one of them is the absolute best. Ive seen managers who are abrasive, mean and borderline abusive get pretty darn good results. Many managers intentionally throttle back the positive feedback to make it that much more impactful when they say something good. I cant say this is "wrong" because for some it works (kind of). But what I CAN say, is its an approach that has its limits. Think about it from your own perspective... If most of the reason you work hard is to avoid being spoken down to, embarrassed, or shamed, then you are likely to only operate at your best when you think your being watched. "When the cat's away, the mice will play" so to speak. The problem as I see it with taking this approach, is that as strong as the human motivation to avoid the negative is, there is also an equally strong impulse to avoid validating such harsh treatment. In other words, when were treated poorly, we tend to want to do whatever we can to show that it doesn't work. We will do what we are asked, but will run into a motivational wall when time comes to go the extra mile or do something good when no one is watching. So although you may get results in the short term, you will never break through to the next level of performance.

For me, the most effective approach has always been to expect the best from the people I rely on. Instead of asking them to prove me wrong, and show they CAN do the job despite my doubts, I ask them to prove me RIGHT, and show me that my instincts about their capabilities are spot on. I assume they can deliver on everything I ask of them, and do everything I can to make sure they know I'm in their corner. After all, my success is in their hands!

So why do I do this? Believe it or not, it is NOT because it represents a fluffy cloud utopian "lets all get along" attitude towards the world. I do it for one simple reason... It works!

In 1963 Robert Rosenthall conducted an experiment with school children where he essentially told teachers that certain students tested to be VERY intelligent and were "ready to bloom" according the results of the "Harvard Test of Inflected Aquisition". And guess what happened? Those students DID "bloom"! They performed much better than the other students, both in class and on performance tests. The trick? The "Harvard Test of Inflected Aquisition" doesnt actually exist. The increased expectations of the teachers alone,created a wonderful self-fulfilling prophesy of excellence.

So why then doesn't everybody do this? I guess for some, they feel their approach works well enough, and since "we don't know what we don't know", if your not aware something else works, why try something new? I also think many of us assume our bosses expect us to be tough above all. Mangers are inherently afraid of being seen as weak, and taking a positive approach can lead to loosing control right? Not if done right. In the end, there is a certain amount of professional courage that is required to be a great leader. The courage to have faith that the people you rely on will come through for you... because in the end, they want to prove you were RIGHT for believing in what they can accomplish.