Executive Business Coach Chuck Boyce’s Blog: Do Nice Bosses Finish Last?In my new article, “How Many Basketballs Can You Put in this Room?,” I shared the top 25 weirdest job interview questions from 2010 – and suggested some that might work just a wee bit better. That got the small business coach in me to thinking – if you are successful in hiring a person who is talented and motivated, how do you make sure they continue to perform at their peak? And actually do the job the way you want it to be done? Most bosses either lean more towards the nice guy model – or the ruthless dictator role. So which works best? Well, new research from Florian Herold, an assistant professor at the Kellogg School of Management, seems to indicate a combination of both does the trick. Herold believes that you should use a strategy where you begin by rewarding employees who accomplish what you want accomplished. Then, when you have most of your workers in your corner, you begin “punishing” those who don’t do what needs to be done. If you punish people before you’ve done the rewarding, you might end up with a palace revolt on your hands. This way, you cement your relationship with the employees who are responsive to you, who will then back you up when you go after the bad apples. By the way, Herold studies game theory, a branch of applied mathematics that depends on mathematical proofs to forecast what people will do in certain situations. In other words, if you follow his advice, you can turn your workplace into a real-life Sims game! Whatever your method, consider Herold’s final words on how to be a boss: “People who are always nice have a hard time in my model.” “Independent Executive” Chuck Boyce is an expert small business coach who can help you get the most out of your business. For more information on how you achieve your business goals, go to www.breakingfreeblog.com. Leave a Reply |
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