Reflets Magazine #151 | The Benevolent Manager’s Checklist

In Reflets Mag #151, Jérémy Borot (E05), Commercial Excellence Manager at Ingenico, shares his checklist for exercising benevolent management, without having to compromise on results. Here is a free online translation of the article… subscribe to get the next issues (in French)!

This is the age of benevolent management, soft influence and the self-definition of one’s goals.  And this is by and large a wonderful thing! Almost everyone agrees it is an improvement on the hierarchical approach of the past, when management was supposedly exercised with quasi-military authority. All it took was to order the troops to ‘present arms!’...

Let’s take a moment to reflect on this ‘present arms’. Is it such an easy order to give? For this to work, you need to be a military figure yourself, in a position of power and most likely donning the attributes of your rank. You must have soldiers ready to receive and carry out the order. These soldiers also need to carry those arms and know how to wield them for presentation. That’s a far from easy task!

Unlikely as it may seem, an order in this military context is obeyed rapidly, whereas excessive benevolence can quickly reach its limits in terms of results. Can we reconcile both mindsets? Here’s my checklist for effective benevolence. Follow it!

Prepare the ground

I know who I am dealing with. If not, I take the time to get to know people.

People know who I am. If not, I take the time to introduce myself.

My request lies within a familiar context. If not, I take the time to explain.

I’m a few steps ahead. Where necessary, I can explain what my next requests and demands will be.

Express yourself clearly

I describe the deliverable. I explain what I hope to see or obtain. If possible, I provide an example.

I formulate my request with positive, declarative sentences. My sentences are thus simple and free of negation. I describe what I want, not what I don’t want.

I specify my request. I replace all the pronouns (it/they) and indefinite articles (a/an) by the exact words they correspond to.

Check the message is understood

I talk to a single person. If I ask several people to do something, each person may presume that someone else will do it instead.

I make sure the request has been received. This could be a formal confirmation of receipt or a simple nod of the head.

I express my request directly and explicitly, unless I am addressing someone who dislikes this style or am willing to accept that my orders are sometimes misunderstood. If I express myself in an indirect, roundabout way, or through questions, I am aware of the risk I am taking.

Help others to help you

I know that the person I am calling on is capable of performing the action. They know how and are able to do what I ask.

I teach others how to comply with the request. According to the circumstances, this could be either a few explanations or several hours’ training.

I adapt the scope of the request. Sometimes it is better not to ask for everything at once; the person may forget some elements or feel overwhelmed.

I avoid triggering burnout. I am aware of the current workload of the people I am talking to.

Motivate

I am seen as legitimate. It appears natural to respond to my request and do as I suggest. If not, I have a plan to rapidly assert my legitimacy (Influence & Manipulation by Robert Cialdini may be a helpful read).

I test the desire to act. Few people closely follow the orders they receive if they are reluctant to do so (except in the context of certain highly specific cultures such as the military...and even that’s not a given!).

I take the time to motivate people. If there is no need, then all the better! I can skip this point. Someone who lacks interest will execute the action late, badly, or not at all.

The person I am addressing feels respected by my request. It appears natural for them, and they accept it. My request does not offend, harm egos or contradict a belief.

Specify the timeline

I explain the request deadline. Immediately? In an hour’s time? Before the end of the day? For next week? Next month? One day perhaps?

I clarify each step. I make a difference between expecting the result first time round (e.g. a jug of water in a restaurant) or simply a rough version to get the ball rolling (e.g. drafting a 6-page article).

I define the expected level. Sometimes we seek perfection, and sometimes the minimum is acceptable. The first option is not always the best.

Communicate

I limit my explanations to the strict minimum. You can rapidly submerge your audience with too many details.

I choose my means of communication. Some directives are more effective in written form, others when given orally. I consider when and how to ask.

My body language supports my request. My non-verbal expression reinforces my message (What Every Body is Saying by Joe Navarro may be a helpful read).

My tone supports my request. It is rarely a good idea to bark an order, while speaking softly often enables you to be heard.

Avoid the mistakes

I cannot not be understood. Even a teenager, trainee or non-specialist old person could understand my instructions.

People are used to asking me questions when they need to. The last time I gave a similar order, everything worked out fine. No-one has said ‘yes, yes’ to me recently when in actual fact they hadn’t understood.

I suggest a ‘fool-proofer’ This could be an expert to call on, a methodology or a checklist. This helps to limit misunderstandings.

All that...just to have someone pass the salt? Yes indeed! All these points apply to seemingly very simple requests. And that’s why, in general, people do pass the salt.

In a more complex professional context, where orders are disguised as indirectly expressed, friendly suggestions, it’s perhaps not so surprising that people pass us the salt less often. So, before your next lunch, reread this checklist, add your own ideas and try to follow some of the suggestions!

Translation of an article published in Reflets Magazine #151. Special offer: read the issue  (in French). 

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