by Raven Lebeau

Created on: October 07, 2009

It is only human nature to crave the approval of those around us. Every manager wants to be well-liked, but the desire to be popular can often interfere with a manager's ability to get the most out of his or her employees. While laissez faire management is not an effective way to get the most from employees, an overly aggressive management style will damage morale and hinder performance. The key to good management is an assertive style that combines a sincere interest in one's employees with a clear focus on the company goals. Here are a few tools for the assertive manager's toolbox:

1. Use the "sandwich" method when providing constructive criticism.

When critiquing an employee's performance, the goal is to motivate the employee to improve, not to discourage him or her from making an effort. "Sandwiching" a critical statement between two positive statements will let the employee know that his or her work is appreciated. It also makes the confrontation less unpleasant for the manager. A manager using the "sandwich" method might say something along the lines of, "Bob, you did a great job collecting data for these reports. I did notice that you mislabeled some of the columns in your spreadsheet, so if you could proofread more carefully next time, I would appreciate it. Thanks again for putting in the extra hours on this project."

2. Use "feed forward" instead of feedback.

Managers need employees to focus on the future instead of dwelling on the past. When analyzing an employee's mistakes, be sure to phrase your observations in terms of future expectations rather than past failures. Statements like, "Next time, please remember to invite Mary to the meeting," are more productive than statements such as, "You did not invite Mary to the meeting." The former gives an employee a positive directive, while the latter merely sounds negative and accusatory.

3. Use if... then format when encouraging employees to change their behavior.

Giving employees lists of "do's and don'ts" can make them feel as if they are in elementary school and make you appear arbitrary and uncaring. On the other hand, if you use an if... then format for your comments, employees will be more likely to understand the rationale behind your suggestions. Even if they disagree with your ideas, they at least know that you have sincere motives for your requests.

If... then format can often be used to turn a potentially harsh criticism into a helpful tip. For example, you may want to tell an employee

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