The Hammer and The Nail Approach
 
There is a saying that if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. In leadership, often the “hammer” equivalent is a manager’s “just do it" approach. Sadly the employee issue at hand often is not “nail-like” and the “hammering” outcome is disappointing to both parties. The tendency at times, is to blame the employee because they “just don’t get it” and ultimately did not “just do it”. What is the alternative to the hammer and nail approach?

In our diverse world, it is no surprise that employees differ in their response to leadership styles. I am often asked by managers “how does one motivate employees to do what one needs them to do?” The honest answer is “sincerely engage them by asking open-ended questions to uncover what it will take to motivate them.” It is academic that such questions lead to discovery and dialogue, which often uncovers mutually generated nuggets of wisdom of benefit to both parties. Still most managers tend to talk at employees, telling them why and how “just doing it” is necessary, versus dialoguing with them about what it might take to get the job done, then helping to proactively manage those conditions.

Management’s barrier to asking such questions is often rooted in the expectation that a leader should be all-knowing, therefore telling is what a manager is supposed to do. Relegating oneself to inquisitive dialogue implies uncertainty, leaving one open to being judged by more senior leaders and subordinates as unknowing, and somehow not up to the task. The truth is, acknowledging the need to seek input of others “closest to the action” builds workplace relationships while improving the likelihood of discovering a “best fit” solution. If managers were to ask questions 80 per cent of the time and tell 20 per cent, improved communication and collaboration would leverage employee engagement to skyrocket, likely resulting in improved organizational performance (less outcomes variation, enhanced customer satisfaction, improved financials, etc).

The Coach Approach
 
To achieve “hard to reach” targeted performance outcomes, the manager’s toolbox inventory must expand far beyond the hammer approach. The tendency is to focus on performance expectations which target only WHAT we want employees to do (i.e., measure accurately, answer the phone within three rings or wash hands thoroughly between patient care procedures). HOW employees do their job is just as important as WHAT they do. Addressing one without the other risks unwittingly regressing to the hammer and nail philosophy.

Imagine the receptionist who answers the phone flawlessly in three rings, but is testy in her communications with “demanding” customers. Or the manager who budgets impeccably, but is unable to develop “resistant” direct reports to adhere to fiscal accountability. Both the receptionist and the manager meet some, but not all expectations. In these case examples customer loyalty and financial results are negatively impacted, even though technical performance is excellent. Shaping the receptionist and the manager to have improved performance outcomes will not work if their respective supervisors say “you must just behave differently”. It is only through a trusting relationship with a boss who helps them see their behavior as part of a performance continuum with technical “whats” and non-technical “hows”, that positive change can be managed. Developing and sustaining such a management-staff relationship is best accomplished in the context of professional coaching.

Through a regular, consistent relationship characterized by inquisitive dialogue, the manager-coach fosters a spirit of trust and connectedness. The subordinate coachee, benefits by becoming known as a unique individual, derived from the discovery questions that a trained coach leader asks to uncover what will motivate an individual to change. In addition to improving workplace communication and collaboration, the ulterior gain for the manager coach is learning more about how to best improve the organization through employee input.

If you had to stretch your performance capacity, would you want to always be treated as a nail, always expecting the hammer and hoping it all comes out right in the end? Or would you want to be appreciated for your uniqueness, and “closest to the action knowledge”, motivated and supported accordingly in the context of an ongoing professional supervisory relationship?

In closing, for professional coaching to take hold in organizations, managers need to know that development of direct reports is leader job 1, then to connect with their personal spark to do it e.g., “I love to see people grow and succeed!” or “I can only help the company grow if I help my employees step up to take on what the organization needs re: best WHAT and HOW practices.” The ultimate proof of organizational manager-coach success is in management’s ability to connect with a diverse group of individuals to partner for organizational success, laying down the hammer for good.

References
 
For additional information on the coach approach, the following books are highly valuable references.

Huseman, Richard, and Pamela Bilbrey, BreakOUT, Unleash the Power of Human Capital For Yourself. For Those You Lead. Equity Press: 2005

Huseman, Richard,The Leader As Coach; How to Coach a Winning Team, Equity Press, 2005

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