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The younger people entering your company may be authority-averse. CEO Lawrence Bossidy said “the day when you could yell and scream and beat people into good performance is over. Today you have to appeal to them by helping them see how they can get from here to there, by establishing some credibility, and by giving them some reason and help to get there.”
We once thought of persuasion as a sales tool, a skill reserved for closing deals or selling products that could be be misused to manipulate people.
Today we need to realize that persuasion is part of a learning and negotiating process. It involves discovery, preparation, and dialogue. Invite people to discuss and even debate the merits of your position, and then to suggest alternative solutions. In its best sense, persuasion demands compromise. When dealing with your direct reports, you will get better results by persuading them than by giving orders.
Along a similar line, it’s good to remember that everyone is talented at something and recognizing them for it can be beneficial for everyone.
Positive feedback is the process of telling people what they’re doing right. When your direct reports are confident that you have “got their backs,” they will see you as a mentor and be more ready to receive criticism. When you tell your people how much you appreciate the good things they do, it becomes easier to correct the bad things.
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