“What should I do? Neither the carrot nor the stick seem to work!”
Who knew that referring to leadership styles and team management could mean talking about carrots and sticks?
I’ll get to the meaning of carrots and sticks in a second, but first, it’s not uncommon to hear this phrase about feeling baffled or very stuck…
And, no, this hasn’t been the first time I’ve had a senior manager express some real frustration about getting the results they want or need from their team in this way.
Hey, I get it! This can feel like such a conundrum.
In my experience, a lot can depend on the industry and the nature of the work, but not entirely.
To picture this, let’s take iconic chef Gordon Ramsay of Hell’s Kitchen. As far as I’m concerned, it really is hell! There is ZERO tolerance for mediocrity or error. And he lets his staff know it! Though I admire his pursuit of excellence, his leadership style is tough, and easily wielded!
Forget about carrots for motivation. He’s all about sticks!
Now take famous Michelin-star chef Alain Passard, owner of the Parisian restaurant, Arpège. When I watched the Netflix documentary about him and observed his relationship to food, cooking, his farm, and—most importantly—his restaurant and garden staff, the best word I can come up with is: transcendent.
No sticks here. Just beautiful carrots.
Same industry. Same pressure to produce outstanding, notable dishes in a timely way. Both chefs incredibly successful!
Holding your team accountable requires knowing your team, and by that, I mean each team member. What is their temperament? What is the quality of their energy? What intrinsically motivates them?
Have you thought about this lately? Are you speaking to your team in a language that they understand?
There are tools available to make your life much easier and to elevate your team management skills…
Using an assessment like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a great first step. Not only can you have each team member take the assessment, but you can aggregate the results to produce a team profile, including YOU. This baseline data can really help a perceptive leader build a strategy to hold themself, a team member—and a team in general–accountable.
Another tool is taking the time to observe each team member’s “baseline” energy. Everyone’s energy varies from day to day, but still, what are you noticing? Does the person tend toward having a “can’t do,” reactive type of energy? Or does the person tend toward having a “can do,” proactive type of energy? Each style may require a different approach to ensure accountability.
And then there is investing the time to meet with each team member, get curious, and ask some questions. Here are some suggestions:
- What motivates you to come to work?
- What purpose does your work serve for you?
- How does it fit into the larger picture of your life and your aspirations?
- How do you prefer to receive a directive?
- What is most helpful to hold you accountable?
- What’s the best approach to correct the course if you are not performing well?
- Do you respond better to a “stick” or a “carrot”?
- What do you want our accountability strategy to be?
Then agree on how you will approach holding them accountable, and follow through!
A word to the wise: my experience is team members do a better job at being accountable when the leader does a better job at delegating! Here is a good formula:
S: Make sure your request is strategic
M: Make sure your request is measurable (quantitatively or qualitatively)
A: Make sure your request is actionable/achievable
R: Make sure your request is backed up with the resources needed to deliver
T: Make sure your request has a due date
T: MPORTANT! Make sure you make your request at a time when it can be HEARD. Be thoughtful about your timing and delivery!
Holding people accountable doesn’t have to be a frustration. Knowing your people and working with who they are and how they operate can go a long way to reduce your stress.
So, which approach are you more comfortable with? Using a carrot or a stick? Let me know in the comments!