Staff management and motivation is a complex matter that sometimes leaves managers baffled and even headache-ridden. Take it easy and take a look at the following classic stories, and you may appreciate another dimension of management.
I. Division of labour
[Story]
When a young artillery officer took up his post, he visited his subordinate units to inspect their drills and found that several of them had one thing in common: during the drills, there was always a soldier who stood under the barrel of the cannon from the beginning to the end without moving. When asked, the answer was that this was what the drill regulations stipulated. It turned out that the regulations followed the rules from the days when the cannon was pulled by horses and the soldier's task was to hold the reins of the horse to prevent the cannon from recoiling and to reduce the time taken to aim again. This role is now no longer required for cannons. However, the regulations were not adjusted in time and soldiers appeared who did not pull the horses. The officer's discovery led to him being honoured by the Ministry of Defence.
[Analysis].
The first task of management is the scientific division of labour. Only when every employee is clear about his or her job responsibilities will there be no undesirable phenomena such as pushing committees and pulling horses. If the company is like a huge machine, then each employee is a part, only if they love their work, the company's machine can be benign operation. The company is developing, and managers should make timely adjustments to the number and division of labour according to the actual dynamic situation. Otherwise, there will be "soldiers who don't pull horses" in the ranks. If there are people in the team who are indiscriminate, it will not only bring about a loss of wages, but will also lead to a psychological imbalance among other personnel, which will ultimately lead to an overall decrease in the efficiency of the company.
II. Standard
[Story]
There was a young monk who took up the post of bell-ringer. After six months, he felt bored to death, "being a monk for a day and ringing the bell for a day". One day, the master announced that he would be transferred to the backyard to chop wood and fetch water because he was not qualified for the bell-ringing post. The young monk asked unconvincingly, "Is the bell I am ringing not punctual and loud?" The old master patiently told him, "Although your bell is punctual and loud, its sound is empty, weak and not inspiring. The bell is meant to awaken the sunken beings; therefore, the sound of the bell struck should not only be loud, but also mellow, thick, deep and distant."
[Analysis].
The presiding officer in this story made a common sense management mistake. "Being a monk for a day and ringing a bell for a day" was caused by the presiding officer not announcing the criteria for his work in advance. If the young monk had understood the standards and importance of bell ringing on the day he entered the monastery, I don't think he would have been dismissed for neglecting his duties. Work standards are a guide for staff behaviour and a basis for assessment. The lack of work standards often leads to a lack of unity between the direction of the staff's efforts and the overall direction of the company's development, resulting in a huge waste of human and material resources. Because of the lack of reference, over time employees tend to form complacency, leading to slack work. The development of work standards as far as possible to achieve digital, to be linked with the assessment, pay attention to operability.
III. Institutions
[Story]
There were seven people living together who shared a bucket of porridge every day, and apparently the porridge was never enough every day. At first, they drew lots to decide who would share the porridge, taking one turn each day. So each week, they had only one day when they were full, and that was the day they shared their porridge. Later they began to choose a moral person to share the porridge. Power begets corruption, and everyone started to try to please him and bribe him, making the whole small group of people uncomfortable. Then a three-member porridge committee and a four-member selection committee were formed, attacking each other and leaving the porridge cold in the mouth. In the end, they came up with a solution: they took turns to share the porridge, but the one who shared the porridge had to wait until everyone else had finished picking the last bowl. In order not to eat the least, everyone tried to share as evenly as possible, and even if it was not fair, they had to accept it. Everyone is happy and harmonious, and life is getting better and better.
[Analysis]
The true meaning of management is in the "management" not in the "management". The main responsibility of the manager is to establish a reasonable game rules like "taking turns to share porridge, the one who shares will take after", so that each employee can manage himself according to the rules of the game. The rules of the game should take into account both the interests of the company and the interests of the individual, and the interests of the individual should be aligned with the interests of the company as a whole. Responsibility, power and profit are the three pillars of the management platform, and one cannot exist without the other. Without responsibility, the company will become corrupt and decline; without rights, the manager's implementation will become a waste of paper; without benefits, the employees will become less motivated and less active. Only managers to "responsibility, power, benefit" platform to build a good, staff can "eight immortals across the sea, each show their abilities.
Fourth, the example
[Story]
There was a prison official named Li Li in the Spring and Autumn state of Jin. When he heard a case, he listened to the words of his subordinates and caused a man to die unjustly. When the truth was revealed, Li Li was prepared to die to atone for his crime. The Duke of Jin said: "There are different levels of officials and different levels of punishment, and the main fault of this case lies with the staff below, not with you. Li Li said, "I usually do not tell the people below me that we have come together to be this official, nor do I share my salary with the people below me. Now that I have made a mistake, how can I do it if I put the blame on the clerks below me". He refused to listen to the Duke of Jin's advice and died by lying down on his sword.
[Analysis]
To do right by others, one must first do right by oneself. Managers must set an example if they want to control their subordinates well. The power of demonstration is amazing. Not only should you be brave enough to take responsibility for your subordinates, like your ancestor Li Li, but you should also take the lead in everything, be strict with yourself and do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Once the prestige of the staff has been established through example, the team will be of one mind and greatly improve the overall combat effectiveness of the team. The one who wins the hearts of the people will win the world, and being a leader admired by his subordinates will make management twice as successful with half the effort.
V. Competition
【Story】
A foreign forest park once raised several hundred deer, despite the quiet environment, abundant water and grass, and the absence of natural enemies. Later they bought some wolves and placed them in the park, with the wolves chasing and preying on them, the deer had to run nervously to escape. In this way, except for the old and sickly ones who were preyed upon by the wolves, the other deer became stronger and their numbers grew rapidly.
Analysis]
The water does not rot, and the household is not worm-eaten. People are inert by nature, and without competition they will be stuck in their ways and sleep on their laurels. The competitor is the wolf chasing the deer, always making it clear to the deer where the wolf is and where his companions are. The deer that runs ahead gets better food and the deer that runs last becomes food for the wolf. According to the rules of the market, the "first deer" is rewarded and the "last deer" is eliminated from the market.
VI. Communication
[Story]
The famous American host "Linklater" interviewed a child one day and asked him, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" The child replied innocently: "I want to be a pilot of an aeroplane!" Linklater then asked, "What would you do if one day your plane flew over the Pacific Ocean and all the engines died?" The child thought for a moment and said, "I would tell the people in the plane to fasten their seat belts and then I would hang up my parachute and jump out." As the audience laughed and laughed, Linklater continued to watch the boy to see if he was a smart-ass. Then two tears came to his eyes, which made Linklater realise that the boy's compassion was more than words could describe. So Linklater asked him, "Why are you doing this?" The child's answer revealed a child's sincere thoughts: "I'm going to get the fuel, and I'm coming back! .
[Analysis].
Did you really listen to the words of your men? Do you also habitually interrupt your men with your own authority? We often make the mistake of commenting and directing our men according to our experience before they have had a chance to finish their business. On the contrary, if you were not the leader, would you still do this? Interrupting the words of your men makes it easy to make one-sided decisions on the one hand, and on the other hand makes employees lack the feeling of being respected. Over time, the subordinates will no longer be interested in giving honest feedback to their superiors. When the feedback system is cut off, the leader becomes a "loner" and becomes "blind" when it comes to decision-making. Keeping an open exchange of information with your staff will enable you to manage like a fish in water, so that you can correct management mistakes in time and develop more practical programmes and systems.
VII. Guidance
[Story]
In one instance, Kanya, a Japanese kabuki master, played the role of a citizen travelling on foot in ancient times. Before he was about to go on stage, he deliberately untied his shoelaces in an attempt to show how tired the citizen was from his long journey. It so happened that a journalist came backstage that day and saw this scene. When the play was finished, the reporter asked Kanya, "Why didn't you instruct the students then, they didn't loosen their shoelaces?" Kanya replied, "There are plenty of opportunities to teach students the skills of acting, and on today's occasion, the most important thing is not to keep them enthusiastic."
[Analysis].
Improving the quality and competence of staff is an effective way to raise management standards. Learning is conducive to improving team execution and facilitates team cohesion. Hands-on on-site guidance can correct staff mistakes in a timely manner, and is one of the important forms of improving staff quality. But coaching must be skillful, just like Master Kanye, to protect the enthusiasm of employees. Managers must avoid lecturing, but rather motivate their staff to improve their skills. In addition to on-site guidance, a combination of training, exchange sessions, internal publications and business competitions can be used to inspire staff to continuously improve their own quality and business standards, creating a motivated learning team.
1.Exercise
[Story].
A man caught a young eagle in an eagle's nest at the top of a high mountain. He took the young eagle home and kept it in a chicken coop. The young eagle pecked, frolicked and rested with the chickens. It thought it was a chicken. As the hawk grew in size and plumped up, the owner tried to train it as a falcon, but by spending all his time with the chickens, it had become exactly like them and had no desire to fly. The owner tried all sorts of things to no avail, so he finally took him to the top of the hill and threw him out. The hawk fell like a stone, but in a panic it flapped its wings desperately and finally flew!
[Analysis]
Everyone wants to use their abilities to prove their worth, and the men are no exception. Giving them more space to show their talents is the greatest respect and support for them. Don't be afraid to let them fail, give them the right support and guidance, let go of the eagle in your hands and let them soar in a wider sky. If they are monkeys, give them a mountain to toss around, if they are dragons, give them a big river to flutter around. Their growth will bring greater contribution to your work. Their growth will push you further.