Do as I say, not as I do. Does that actually work?
Kerri Lawrey-Jones | Operations. Accounting. Organization. | Thursday April 1 2010As a follow up to “Are You Connected to Your Staff”, one of the number one complaints I hear when interviewing employees, especially those in small businesses, is that their employers impose rules they themselves do not follow. To the staff, this behavior is not only belittling, but also confusing.
This reminds me of when I was a child. My mother would tell me no when I asked for something she did not want me to have, but then would proceed with enjoying the very thing I asked for. Granted, this may have been necessary for my well-being (think adult beverages, or walking across the street without holding my dad’s hand), but the whole “do as I say, not as I do” never sat well with me. Unfortunately, being a child may have inherently taken away my aptitude for arguing equal rights, but in an employer/employee relationship, this is not the case. Employers following the mantra “do as I say, not as I do” are not exhibiting leadership behavior, rather they are placing what seems to be unreasonable expectations on perfectly capable, intelligent, viable adults.
Yes, owners might be able to set their own schedule and call the shots; however, this does not mean it is feasible to impose rules they are personally unwilling to follow. In fact, this behavior could very well lead to broken interoffice relations that will inevitably affect the bottom line.
To nurture a productive and harmonious office culture, it is imperative that a leader emulates the behaviors he or she expects from their staff. In fact, I cannot stress enough the importance of a leader “leading by example”. This means – if you have a dress code, follow it. If you expect people to respect your needs, respect theirs, and without a doubt, if you have an expectation that requires a certain level of commitment, equally commit.
This does not mean you are not free to exercise the benefits of being a leader, but it is important to recognize that as a leader you are tasked with setting an example. A leader, by definition, is someone who guides and teaches. To truly embrace being a guide and teacher, showing you are capable of following the rules creates an environment of respect and pretty much anything is possible when its based on respect.
