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Consider Context Creation and Maintenance
People
don’t make decisions in a vacuum. Where we are, what’s going on around
us, who we are with – these things make a difference.
A lot
of what you “know” about management assumes that rules are enforced by
supervisors, and that is pretty much why the people who work for you do
what needs to be done. While rules and supervisors certainly play an
important role in your company, it is naïve to believe that they are the
entire reason things get done. In fact, it may turn out that they are a
relatively small part of the big picture. For better or worse, a lot of
the good and bad decisions your employees make, and the resulting
actions they take, are more influenced by something we call “Context”.
Think
of “Corporate Culture”. Now, add in the pub where a lot of the folks
hang out on Thursday nights. Include the employee’s family. This is
the world your employee lives in, and these (and plenty of other)
influences are in your employee’s mind when he or she makes a decision
on the job. Try harder, or take it easy – for that employee, the best
choice isn’t determined by a poster HR put up in the break room, it is
determined by the “Context”, the world your employee lives in…. |
