Page 185 - Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles

156 Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work

the employees’ level of engagement increased, which in turn led
to more input and various improvements and cost savings.
Perhaps the most important outcome was the transforma-
tion of the relationship between the manager and his employ-
ees. Before this experience, the manager had run the operation
as a dictator might his country. He was very authoritarian and
interested only in employees doing as they were told. Now, they
share a much more collaborative and respectful relationship. He
no longer had a workforce; he had a team. By the way, turnover,
which had been a significant problem, has decreased dramati-
cally. If your employees are not meeting expectations, maybe it’s
time for a conversation.

Best Practices and

Turnkey Strategies for

Setting Expectations and Goals

It is in your best interest to make sure that you and your employ-
ees are on the same page. Setting clear expectations should
begin during the hiring process and continue throughout the
length of the employee-manager relationship. The following are
some concrete structures to help you on your way:

1. Real deal. During the interview process, most job can-
didates are not given an accurate description of the job and
what to expect from the organization. Thus, candidates end
up with an airbrushed version of what to expect instead of
the “real deal” and become naturally disappointed shortly
after accepting the job. As part of your interview process,
job candidates should have time to speak individually with