What does the statement above mean to you? What does it mean to be intentional? How do you impact the lives of other people around you in business? Do you impact others by simply treating them fairly, or in a way that you want to be treated? Is that intentional?
I am not implying you are doing something wrong, but instead better defining what intentionality looks like. Treating others as you want to be treated is easy to think about because you already know how you want to be treated. However, to take that to the next level – if you want to be intentional, let’s discover how others want to be treated.
As an example, if you like to have criticism given to you with the “sandwich” method – compliment, criticism, compliment – should you assume that all of your employees wants the same? If you like for recognition to be delivered publicly, and applauded in front of the rest of the team, does that mean that your employees will perform better when being recognized this way? The answer is “not necessarily,” because everyone is different, and what is best for one person may not be best for everyone.
The employee you are recognizing might be uncomfortable being rewarded in front of others, and might prefer a pat on the back and firm handshake to let them know how much you appreciate them. In fact, to avoid that discomfort, they may underperform to avoid being recognized this way. The employee you have to coach and correct might like the proverbial Band-Aid ripped off quickly rather than a long drawn out discussion (in fact I believe most people prefer this). Trying to give them praise while correcting a problem could create a level of anxiety, or even worse, mixed signals.
As a business leader you impact the lives of all that work in your organization, as well as the lives they touch in their personal lives. Being intentional means to take the time and effort to study your craft, and learn ways to positively impact your team. It is easy to assume that the way you want to be treated should work for everyone, however the way you really want to be treated is for someone to know your preferences. Discover what motivates each individual, and treat them the way they want to be treated.
