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Friday, February 9th, 2001
If you are a parent, a manager or a leader of people then you are aware of the difficulty that comes with having to say No.
I am the kind of person who strives to give people what they are asking for. Of course I try to see behind the request at the real motivation for the request.
Often there are other ways of achieving the same things, and it is my role to mentor my staff into discovering those avenues themselves. The problem is that I have to work within the constraints and boundaries
set for me by my management and directors. In fact, it goes further than that. In the struggle for more - more money, more market share, more profit, more revenue - we drive our organisations in
directions that promise these rewards. This drive translates into goals for each business unit, and thus for each person in that unit. There comes a fine balance between providing as much as possible (in
the way of resources, income, awards, incentives, assistance) to the team to get the job done, and the revenue expected to be driven from that effort and expenditure. A simple equation, right?
The hard part is sharing it around fairly. I manage a team of extremely talented people. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses (as do I), each is
passionate about what they do, and each team member contributes enormously to the success of the team overall. It is so difficult to pick those who truly excel in a team that performs exceptionally. It
is difficult to say yes to some, and no to others when each request has a sound basis. I guess I am hoping that the people whom I manage, realise this and appreciate that I am doing my best to be fair.
So what is the point of this entry? Each of my diary entries usually carry some personal lesson, or conclusion. Well, here it is...
Remember when I wrote about my fear of failure back in July last 2000?
This seems to be amplified when I am trying not only to gain approval from those to whom I report (and in the family structure - from my wife and parents) but also from those who I lead (and, in fact, this goes for
my role as a father too). I have always had difficulty in believing in myself, and the decisions I make. I am an individual who is motivated by a simple 'Thank you'. When I do something
outstanding, it rarely gets noticed, and this has an enormous affect on my attitude. It is hard to divorce my energy and enthusiasm from the need, sometimes, to be told "Thanks". Somehow, that simple
thank-you generates the next wave of energy with which I go out and face my challenges head on.
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