Are You "Shaming" Your Team Into Submission?

I see this more often than I’d like—leaders who think that they’ll get the best results from their team by “shaming” them into submission.

If you agree with me that long terms business success and life happiness depends to a great degree on your ability to build win-win relationships with people, then shaming others isn’t a leadership technique that you practice. You know that encouraging and inspiring your team results in better performance than shaming them into submission.

Here are three of the top “Leader Shaming Techniques” I hear in my travels:

·         “You should be glad you have a job!” Translation: “You should be ashamed of wanting a job in which you’re actually happy.”

·         “You should be loyal to me and to the company!” Translation: “You should treat me well regardless of how I treat you.”

·         “You’re on salary, so you should work until the job is done without complaining!” Translation: “You have signed a blank contract to do whatever I tell you regardless of your personal goals or happiness.”

The best result you can get with shaming your team is submission and compliance. You’ll never get your team’s best effort or full contribution because they are avoiding punishment rather than pursuing rewards.

The A Players that you need to take your business to the next level of success won’t stay with a leader who shames them. They’ll go where they are treated with respect and caring so they can achieve their personal goals while helping you achieve yours.

If you’re using these shaming techniques, it’s not too late to change. You’ll get better results. Please note that at no point did I say, “You should be ashamed of shaming your team…”

Don’t be a stranger. (770) 993-1129. tdockery@TheResolveFirm.com