Need to know

 Q I’ve always prided myself on my friendly management style. My theory was always that if staff were happy and relaxed they would do a good job. If anything went on the slide then an informal chat usually did the trick. With the recession, a lot of staff are now snappy and anxious, and I have to face it that my ‘sympathetic’ approach is not working. How can I get a grip on morale and discipline without jeopardising staff relations?

A When fault-finding and complaining set in, you are dealing with attention-seeking behaviour. People are testing the changing environment and buying time with you. Relationships at work have undergone a seismic shift over the past two years. Most of us thought we were in a psychological contract that ran two ways: we were loyal to the company and the company was loyal to us. That contract has changed, and it’s now a hiring market. It’s no wonder unease has broken out, with even good people testing the contract where they work.
What’s the solution? Well it’s not difficult. The first thing to realise is that it doesn’t matter that the staff don’t love you, they only have to respect you. That comes from providing a clear sense of direction, which has a business rationale, and a meaningful purpose that the team can connect with. Secondly, it’s about providing pinpoint feedback. Your sympathetic response could change up a gear. When you see people doing the things that are needed for the team to be successful they need specific, timely, positive encouragement – ideally at the very moment they are carrying it out, certainly on the same day. Positive reinforcement is powerful and usually connects to achievement or personal recognition, but make sure it’s conditional on performance. Underperformance or whinging isn’t something you should reinforce. You need a solution focus, not a problem focus. Team members need to be told so. Bear in mind that the positive energetic souls who are working hard are carrying the dead wood. Keep feedback specific, and focus on the behaviour that causes disruption not generalisations. As the boss, you need to model the behaviour you expect from your team and set explicit expectations for team behaviour. Underperformers or organisational terrorists need to be stopped in their tracks and their energy and commitment challenged. Do remember that time with you is probably seen as a positive reinforcement.