Top 10 business maxims that need to go - Part - 6.

Top 10 business maxims that need to go - Part - 6.

 

 

It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble.
It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.
- Josh Billings (or Mark Twain or Artemus Ward or...)

 

Much well-known business advice is sadly obsolete but can still be found in articles, business books and, not least, in daily use in the workplace. It seems that some companies are still guided by thinking that is sadly out of date - if it was ever true to begin with.

 

The worst of these old maxims are not only wrong, they're bad for people and bad for business. Businesses who use them are making their employees unhappy and are harming the bottom line.

 

Here's my pick of the top 10 business maxims in serious need of an update - with a suggested replacement for each.

 

Old maxim #6: People only work if you constantly kick their butt

Meaning: People are inherently lazy and only work when properly spurred on and controlled by managers.

This is of course just plain wrong. The interesting thing is though, that managers who take this approach often end up with people who behave this way for two reasons:

 

1.    Treating employees in this way makes them demotivated and resentful so they start doing as little as they can get away with

2.    Motivated, skilled employees refuse to put up with this treatment and leave

 

Instead, treating people like responsible adults who actually want to do great work makes people want to live up to this. People have an amazing ability to live up (or down) to our expectations.

 

New maxim: Treat people great and they do great work