|
Home / Career
Why Managers Should Play Favorites
By:Anna Johnson
What? You should play favorites?
But that's... that's... unfair!
I'm being blasphemous I know.
After all, we've grown up to believe that favoring some people over others is wrong.
In many cases, I agree. Favoring someone because of their gender, race, nationality, religion, economic status or any other quality that has nothing to do with the job is wrong.
Favoring the boss's son or daughter, or an old friend from school, or anyone else because of who they are -- rather than what they can do -- is bad.
Not just morally bad, but also bad for business.
But what about favoring someone because they're good at their job?
Well, as I'm about to show, that's definitely good for business.
And it's certainly not unfair -- no more than giving Jane a bigger bonus than Ian because Jane's has performed much better than Ian.
So what does "favoring" people because they're good at their job actually mean?
It simply means giving people more enjoyable and rewarding assignments, projects or tasks. More of the work they enjoy; less of the work they don't enjoy.
For example, it might mean giving a top salesperson a more lucrative territory. It might mean giving a waitress the shifts she prefers. It might mean giving a consultant the most interesting projects.
But... if your best people get the best work... and your poorer performers are left with the tougher, less attractive work... won't that lead to your best people just cruising along, while your poorer performers struggle... causing overall results (however you define them) to decline?
Actually, that's quite unlikely.
I mean, are your best performers really "cruisers"? People who like to rest on their laurels? If this is how you categorize your top performers -- you need to rethink what it means to be a top performer!
On the other hand, do you perceive them to be talented, passionate individuals who thrive on a
challenge and produce outstanding results no matter the circumstances? If so, you'll probably find that they squeeze even more and better results out of the "more attractive" work you give them than either you or they thought possible.
Yes, your poorer performers may well struggle with the less attractive work... but the "cost" to you -- and your organisation -- of giving them this work is far less than the cost of giving them the good work, and giving the less appealing opportunities to your top performers.
In this scenario, not only will your poor workers be far less likely to make the most of the opportunities given to them... but your top workers will probably become less motivated (why should they work hard when their "reward" is to do less appealing work?), disgruntled and ultimately likely to leave.
It's a bit like investing. If you have a ten-dollar bill and a one-dollar bill and can only invest each bill in one of two investments -- one earning 10% per annum and another earning 20% -- where do you invest the ten-dollar bill? Where do you invest the one-dollar bill?
Hmmm... let's see... $10 in a 20% p.a. investment earns $12 and $1 in a 10% p.a. investment earns $1.10. So the total would be $12.10.
Meanwhile, $10 in a 10% p.a. investment earns $11 and $1 in a 20% investment earns $1.20. So the total is only $11.20.
Pretty obvious, isn't it?
Allocating work among your staff is similar to allocating those bills to two different investments. By giving the best work to your best employees, and yes, sad to say, your worst work to your poorer employees, your overall results will be better than if you allocated the work the other way around.
So, as long, as it's based on performance, go ahead -- play favorites.
Digg
del.icio.us
Blink
Stumble
Spurl
Reddit
Netscape
Furl
Article keywords: motivating employees, project management, management, performance management, human resources, business
Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com
Anna Johnson is the author of the How To Manage People System, including her book, How To Manage People (Even If You're A Control Freak!). Get Anna's FREE 12-page report How To Be An Outstanding Manager - The 8 Vital Keys To Managing People Effectively
|
|
| Top Career Articles |
|
|
- 2). Pharmacist Resume Samples Will Help You Create An Unmistakable Resume! By : Robert Marcus
Pharmacist resumes must have information of your experience relevant to the position in a quick and clear format. Employers are interested in a highly qualified person and customer friendly attitude.
Apart from highlighting your qualifications, contact information, experience etc, the following points will provide a hint on how to prepare the resume for a Pharmacist position.
|
- 3). How To Write The Best Teacher Resume You Can By : Laura Adams
It should come as no surprise that there is a currently a shortage of teachers in the United States. This unfortunate trend has been seen for well over a decade. To compound the issue, recent labor studies have predicted that teaching positions will likely continue to grow faster than the national average for the next several years due to recent government regulations to reduce class size and increase educational accountability.
|
- 4). Skilled Workers Needed By Auto Industry By : David Sanders
An auto dealership job may put you on the road to a rewarding career-particularly if you're a veteran. Military veterans have the skills and work ethic needed for many careers.
A new study by Harris Interactive estimates there are more than 100,000 career jobs currently available at auto dealerships across the country. The report also found that auto dealers hired more than 15,000 veterans since January 2004.
|
|
|
- 6). Keys To Getting The Law Enforcement Job You Want By : Don Cirillo
These days, when uncertain economic times are putting many careers in doubt, an increasing number of people are looking to work in law enforcement. And there are very good reasons for this.
As many industries have shrunk, North American communities have steadily increased their budgets for law enforcement. Police officers now enjoy better pay and often outstanding benefits.
|
- 7). Nursing facts that everyone should know By : Suzanne Verita
Most people say it is a career about caring. Others say it is a job about professional administration of medications and cure to patients. Some say it is the duty to work out predicaments by using critical thinking skills.
In whatever way you want to call it, nursing is, indeed, a conglomeration of all these beliefs and the faculty of many other skills.
|
- 8). The Female Firefighter By : Barney Garcia
Firefighting is no longer just the domain of the male. Just like every other career, trade, or profession women have made inroads into this traditionally male territory.
|
- 9). How To Achieve A Balanced And Healthy Lifestyle In Retirement By : Cynthia Barnett
Now that you’ve retired, you have entered an entirely new phase of life, a life filled with new challenges, adventure and hopefully one that brings you complete and total satisfaction. However, if you’re like most people, change isn’t always easy and is sometimes stressful. This stress is completely normal but may be compounded if you don’t learn how to balance all the demands on your time.
|
- 10). Career - Test Your Negotiation Skills By : CD Mohatta
Negotiation is part of every professional’s life. To negotiate, means to arrive at an understanding with another person, so that both of you are satisfied with the results. Do you know what is your skill in negotiation? If not, why not test and find out because most of our interactions demand negotiation. You are negotiating with your love partner about which place to go for dinner.
|
| New Career Articles |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- 7). Are You In The Right Job? By : Garry Zancanaro
If you become known as a person that can be relied upon to get a job done, who is efficient and productive, has initiative and is prepared to accept challenges, and has a positive attitude to your work and your co-workers, you will be considered a great asset by any well run organisation.
|
- 8). Unemployment Blues: Mind Over Mood By : Virginia Bola
Unemployment plays havoc with our emotional system. We take a number of hits all at once: loss of occupational identity, economic pressure, family anxiety, and the humiliation of job search.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
