"Just Do It" Only Works for Nike

I imagine that most of us can remember being told by a parent or other authority figure, at some point in our life, that we should do something just because they “said so”. From their way of thinking, having a clear set of instructions was enough. The reasoning behind the order was not something they felt obligated to explain to the likes of you!

The problem with that type of reasoning is that it simply doesn’t work over the long haul (as I’m sure you also remember). People will do things, simply because you tell them to, only for as long as you can watch them.  To gain compliance over the long term, the reason for doing something in a specific way must matter to the employee, not just to you.

Here are some tips on how to gain long term compliance:

1) Before you put people to work, clearly explain how their performance will impact others.  While not doing things your way may end up getting them fired, fear is not an ideal (or long-term) motivator. Instead, take the time to explain the positive impact that their contributions will have on the customer and their coworkers.

2) Take the time to explain the reasoning behind a process or procedure. While it is important to not overwhelm an employee with too much information that may be beyond their frame of reference (i.e., “We need to {fill in the blank} in order to increase PSI, OSI, FBI and Private Eye…”., you need to provide enough information to give the task meaning.

If you are going to favor an acronym, then favor KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). While your front desk employee may not understand, or care about, PSI and/or OSI, she is likely to understand “I would like for you to schedule 12 regular exams a day. Regular exams are the bread and butter of this practice and they create the revenue we need to meet payroll.”

3) Explain the negative consequence of not following proper procedure. Once you have explained the procedure that you want followed, the benefits and reasoning behind performing it as you have explained, and you believe the employee understands how to perform that procedure, then explain the negative consequences associated with poor performance. 

•    “If you schedule twelve exams per day, we will be successful and on track. If you are not able to consistently get twelve exams on the books, it will negatively impact our bottom line, which we use to fund employee positions and bonuses. Under-performance in this area will eventually impact our bank account and your ability to get paid.”

Enough said.