Management excuses that are destroying your “Relationship Based Culture”
In our last post we discussed the Top 5 Excuses Made by Employees. Today we’re looking at the community bank manager. The manager’s job is to implement the vision and culture of the organization as defined by leadership. Far too often we’ve seen the vision or the relationship based culture get destroyed by weak or disengaged management. When helping leadership implement their bank’s vision and culture, this disengagement can be clearly seen through management excuses. There are many excuses one could add to the list, but these are our top five.
- I don’t have time – This is the #1 excuse for the “Fixum” management philosophy. Fixum managers believe they can actually fix people. How’s that working in your other relationships? While many managers give this excuse, it certainly can be true based on their upside-down management style. This manager will spend most of his time with the squeaky wheel (the worst employees or those who are poorly suited for their jobs) and it will literally consume him. You can’t teach your quarterback to play offensive lineman. There’s nothing to fix, one talent is just different than the other. This manager is missing the point of matching talents to task on his team and is instead trying to fix something that isn’t broken but is just miscast. The first step to eliminating this excuse is to spend most of your time with your best people. You’ll be amazed at the time saved.
- I keep telling them but they just don’t listen – This is the lazy management philosophy of trying to create robots… pay them, program them, and press go. Employees don’t work that way. The Gallup Organization states that over 50% of employees don’t know what’s expected of them when they get to work each day. If you want them to listen, set clear expectations based on what they can control. Then hold each employee accountable. Still not listening? Either you have employees that are outright insubordinate or you’ve done a poor job of setting expectations for each employee. Odds are it’s the latter.
- I like to treat everyone the same here – It’s sounds good but seriously, if you believe that, then visit HR and make sure you and everyone in your department are paid the same with the same benefits. If you truly think everyone is the same then you’ve just taken a wrong turn down the road to crazy town. This mindset will actually demotivate and run off your best employees. This excuse is mostly used by managers that want to keep the status quo when an incentive plan is being implemented. This excuse is usually given by the manager that wants to pay incentives or give recognition based on team performance.
- I don’t believe in giving too much praise – This is the manager that doesn’t believe motivation is a part of management. Keep in mind that 20% of employees bring in 90% of the business and the top 5% bring in half of that. Employees are paid to do a job but if you want remarkable performance you must pay employees based on that performance. Done properly, a community bank should net about a 10 to 1 return on investment of the incentive paid to employees. Here’s a key point… pay for clearly defined cross-sells, not activity. Remember, just because you’re motivated in one way doesn’t mean everyone else is motivated in the same way. It’s not just about pay, it’s the pat on the back as well. You can’t pat someone on the back too much. Try thanking your employees individually and specifically at least once each week.
- I was with a customer – This is the manager who is unorganized and unfocused. It’s also common with the manager who doesn’t support the vision or culture of the bank. A simple calendar and working by appointment will solve the issue of organization and focus. Support for the vision and culture is another story. We find it peculiar that customers never show up when this manager has to leave early for a personal reason or when leaving at noon for lunch. It always seems to happen when that meeting relating to vision or culture approaches. This is just one way of trying to protect the status quo and demonstrating to others he is rejecting the culture.
The Solution
These are the excuses leaders are falling for that keep the status quo. Recognizing the excuses for what they are and understanding how the rogue manager can negatively impact your culture is the first step in moving forward. If a manager is not 100% supportive of your bank’s culture, you know what you have to do. Hold him accountable and be prepared to make changes. Amazingly, far too many leaders simply accept less than 100% support. We’ll cover that in our next blog, “Top 5 Excuses of Community Bank Leaders”. You don’t want to miss that one.
I just heard a legitimate one from a community bank branch manager this morning. “My teller line was hired by HR and I had no input.”