Managing Promises, Not People

It is incredible how many good managers get consumed by firefighting or day-to-day activities that distract them from achieving their primary objectives. For many managers, the solution is to work harder and longer, picking up the slack from their team and delaying conversations around employee performance.

In a poorly managed team an “Abdication of Accountability” environment develops where performing employees are punished with more work and less time and underperforming employees are rewarded with less work and more time. As a result, team performance, morale, and communication decline.

So, how can you develop and lead a self-managing team? By managing promises. A self-managing team allows the manager to focus on what’s most important: strategic planning, coaching, and growth.

This program has its roots in my book, Three Values of Being an Effective Person.