by Zig Ziglar
Rewards
Usually when we think of rewarding people, we think of money. Incentive motivation is a much debated form of motivation and for many organizations a viable alternative, especially in the sales field. One of the important things to remember about incentive motivation is, “Today’s fringe benefits are tomorrow’s expectations.” This means that in incentive motivation we must constantly be willing (and able) to “sweeten the pot” to come up with truly motivational incentives.
But the Good News Is … It Doesn’t Have to Be Real Money
One summer, Charlie Pfluger from Indianapolis, Indiana, attended one of our Born to Win Seminars for Educators. He really got motivated about the positive approach to education and what could be done with the right attitude under almost any circumstances. Charlie was particularly enthused because he was the principal of an inner-city school that was just one year away from closing its doors. He went back home with a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and, with the wholehearted support of his staff, devised a game plan for the coming year.
Charlie took a silver dollar and used it for the outline of a neat little project. On one side he wrote I CAN and on the other side he put PLA MONEY. As you can see from the diagram below, we’ve fancied it up a bit.
Charlie’s original version was cut from a sheet of paper and was fairly crude but enormously effective. He reproduced them by the hundreds and gave each teacher a supply. When a youngster was “caught” doing something good, such as picking up paper in the school yard without instructions, cleaning the blackboard without someone ordering him to do it, welcoming new students to the school, returning “lost and found” articles, and a host of other things, the student was given an I CAN by the teacher.
When a student received one hundred of these I CANs, he or she was awarded an I CAN T-shirt. Out of a student body of 594, 587 of them won an I CAN T-shirt. It truly became a status symbol. Charlie smilingly says it got to be slightly ridiculous to see a sheet of paper blowing across the school yard with five kids out there running it down!
Some of the students helped old ladies across the street who did not want to cross the street, and when a new student showed up, he or she was individually greeted by about ninety-seven students. In short, the entire school got involved in the project.
There are some who might contend that 587 T-shirts was expensive and, of course, they are right. However, when you consider the results, it’s got to rate as the finest investment the school ever made. First of all, there was not a single case of vandalism for the entire year. There was not a single drug bust for the year. Attendance for the year was measurably better; grades were better (in many cases, substantially so); and perhaps best of all, for the first time parents, teachers, and students felt they all were on the same team seeking the same objective.
Role Models
The primary role of leadership is to create a team headed by someone the team can follow because they respect his or her integrity and leadership abilities. Our example from the educational world achieved that objective. The principle will work just as effectively in the business world, as you can see from the following article:
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Three A’s for Excellence
There is, indeed, a common thread of excellence that weaves its way through men like Lee Iacocca. Not surprisingly, although these men are involved in completely unrelated businesses, there is a remarkable degree of common factors among them. These common factors, these ingredients for success, represent our three A’s for excellence: Attitude, Aggressiveness, and Appearance.
Attitude. Excellence is a mindset. You must believe. Each person who achieves success seems to have an unwavering commitment and belief in his own abilities. They adhere to a very basic tenet of business: rely on no one. Their beliefs, their mindsets, their attitudes are communicable. This is a top-to-bottom phenomenon in organizations. We all want to believe. But when the CEO believes and that belief is transmitted throughout the organization, the belief is catching. During Iacocca’s reign at Chrysler, St. Louis plant manager John Burkhart said: “All of us at Chrysler believe in the man….”
Aggressiveness. Our society today is overcome with a national lethargy that has reached epidemic proportions. In a multinational, hyper-competitive business environment we can no longer afford this luxury. The global business community is populated by competitors who are both hungry and aggressive. Perhaps we, too, are hungry, simply not hungry enough. The search for excellence is a top-to-bottom aggressive process. It is a preemptive strike on the business community. First you win, second you lose.
Appearance. A brilliant student could not find a job. He mailed resumes to dozens of businesses. Many responded favorably, invited the student to visit and interview for a position. The student visited a number of firms but no offers were forthcoming. The student wanted to know why.
“Are you absolutely certain you want to know why?” his professor asked. “I am,” replied the student. The professor then responded, “You look like you’ve been on a six-month camping trip.” The student indignantly responded, “Are you referring to my hair and my beard?” The professor answered, “Yes, and your clothes and your shoes, and your breath.” The student said, “That’s not fair.” And the professor patiently replied, “You didn’t ask if it was fair, you simply asked why.”
Fair or not, the business community responds to appearance. Naturally, appearance must be fortified with substance but, nevertheless, appearance is important. You must reek of excellence. Much of the initial high marks received by the Reagan administration were based not on substance but simply on appearance; the White House once again appeared “Presidential.” Reagan and his staff looked the part. The sartorial splendor of Iacocca is not an act. The third A is simply a visual manifestation of attitude and aggressiveness….[2]
PERFORMANCE PRINCIPLES
* * *
Everyone needs recognition.
Pride = Personal Responsibility In Daily Effort.
Outstanding recognition programs recognize the qualities that are pertinent to company and individual success and reward these qualities.
The three A’s for excellence are:
a. Attitude
b. Aggressiveness
c. Appearance
10
Getting to Know You … and Me, Too!
The primary skill of a manager consists of knowing how to make assignments and picking the right people to carry out those assignments.
Lee Iacocca
Have you ever wondered why you hit it off so well with one person and never could seem to get along with another? Why is it that your new boss seems to be so much more difficult to deal with than the last one? What is it that really accounts for the difference in personality types and styles? The person who can unlock the key to these questions has a definite advantage in understanding himself and others.
What does this have to do with Top Performance? Quite a bit. Top Performers know themselves and know how to deal effectively with different personality types. We don’t treat everyone the same. The manager who says, “I treat my people all the same,” is going to be very ineffective. If you can recognize some of the basics of different personality types, you will be surprised at the difference it will make in your ability to deal with people.
There is a great deal of information on the market today that gives us insight into the personality types of others and ourselves. Psychologists administer the Briggs-Meyer Analysis. Dr. Carl Jung, the Swiss psychoanalyst, wrote in Psychological Types in the 1920s, “What really accounts for personality differences is that every individual develops a primacy in major behavioral functions.” He went on to elaborate on the inherited and developed traits we all possess. At Ziglar Training Systems we use the Personal Profile System from Performax Systems International, Inc. The more we know about ourselves and others, the better suited we are to deal with people in our complex society. Early in my career I would not hav
e considered using a personality profile in hiring employees, and today I cannot imagine hiring anyone without this tool—not just for our sake but for the sake of the employee as well. Let me give you two specific examples.
When Ron Ezinga was considering my offer to become president of the Zig Ziglar Corporation some years ago, we agreed that it would be wise for us to be tested for compatibility. Neither of us was interested in getting involved in a business relationship that was anything less than a workable one, because joining our firm meant Ron would have to resign the presidency of a larger company and move his family over a thousand miles to Dallas. It also meant major changes in our company and a substantial change of direction for me personally. Our getting together seemed natural, because I was speaking over a hundred times a year and was substantially less than effective in running our business. Ron’s job was financially rewarding but did not permit him full use of his creative skills, organizational abilities, and management expertise. We wanted to get together, but we wanted it to be “right” for our families and our careers.
As prudent decision-making businessmen, Ron and I went through extensive testing and found that we really had the potential for an excellent business partnership. My style is to be quick to act and make decisions, while Ron’s is to be very deliberate and gather the facts. The psychologists said, “Zig, if you can speed Ron up a little, and he can slow you down a little, you guys are gonna be really successful!” There were many areas where it seemed his strengths compensated for my weaknesses and my strengths compensated for his weaknesses. The scientific tools validated what we both suspected and prayed would be the answer—that we could successfully work together. And I can tell you that I am so grateful God led Ron to our company at that time. Under his effective and imaginative direction, we moved into many new areas and reached five to ten times as many people as we were reaching before Ron joined our team.
The second example I would like to share pertains to a young lady we hired as a backup receptionist. She was very pleasant and quite good on the phone; however, she was never in her seat when it came time for her to “back up” on the phones. She had so much energy that “sit ability” came hard for her. We had reached the point that we were considering asking her to find other employment when we got involved in the Personality Profile System. From the analysis we saw that she wasn’t the problem—we were! We had completely misplaced her. Fortunately, we had an opening at the time for an assistant office manager. The job required that about fourteen different projects be handled at one time (ordering office supplies, getting office machines repaired, hosting visitors to our offices, etc.), and she was magnificent! She was one of the best we have ever had in the position. We all shed a tear when her husband’s career called for them to relocate.
The point is this: With scientific validation we can get reinforcement for making career decisions—both in hiring and in choosing a profession. Am I recommending that your organization get involved with one of these personality profile analyses? The answer is yes. We also have a consulting team that specializes in developing personalized personnel programs for your organization.
A Voyage in “Self” and “Other” Discovery
A personality analysis is somewhat like the analysis of the notes on a musical score. This analysis will reveal the nature, even the quality, of the performance. Every musical instrument and every human being is different. Take any group of people who interact together in pursuit of some common goal and you will see that each possesses personality traits different from the others. Each of these people is motivated differently, and the differences can result in effective performance (as with Ron Ezinga and me) or in complete discord. This does not necessarily mean that one person is right and the other is wrong—just that we are different. And that’s good! If we always agree, then one of us isn’t necessary.
The beauty of the personality analysis (regardless of the system used) is that not only does it enable you to understand why you and those around you behave as you do, but it also enables you to take advantage of this knowledge (not take advantage of the people) so that you might channel energies and focus talents in existing relationships for the better. Understanding personality differences helps people appreciate each other more and, consequently, work together more effectively. This, coupled with specific insights into the communication dos and don’ts, creates a real win-win scenario.
Here’s how it works: Most of the studies we have done categorize behavioral style into four broad dimensions. Obviously, no one person’s personality can be defined as belonging totally to one of these four categories. We are, after all, human beings and not computerized mechanisms. Our personalities reflect many subtle differences of tone and texture, and we all have some of all degrees of each of the characteristics. However, some characteristics are dominant and will surface on a regular basis.
How Aggressive Are Your Employees?
As you read this information, it is particularly important that you remember the philosophy that you can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want. As you identify these people, you will learn what turns them on, what inspires and encourages them, how you can help them to become more effective in what they do. All of us are different. This helps you to deal with the different personalities in the people you will be interacting with as a manager and as a Top Performer.
Think of four beakers of liquid that you might find in a chemistry laboratory. Each beaker represents a personality characteristic. Let’s call the first beaker our aggression container. If the aggression container is filled below the midline, the person usually is willing to let others make decisions and is glad to reach decisions by consensus. This individual is often quiet and unassuming, is perceived as being mild-mannered in dealing with others, and is usually modest about personal achievements.
To motivate these people, place them in low-pressure situations and allow them to lead with a “let’s do it together” style instead of a demanding style. Incentive motivation will do little to motivate these good-natured individuals who are turned off by pressure. They are willing and unselfish, which is one reason they are sometimes taken advantage of by more aggressive people.
People who have their aggression containers filled above the midline are often perceived as strong-willed, task-oriented “doers.” They have a tendency to drive themselves and others and enjoy change and challenge. You recognize these people by their “steely-eyed” (stern and intense) expression and clenched fists that pound the table for emphasis (or pointed finger for the same effect). They “stride” rather than walk, and they always seem to be going somewhere with a purpose and in a hurry.
You motivate these people by challenging them and granting authority. The less tied down they are, the more effective they become. Give them direct answers and stick to business when in the business environment. When you disagree with them, take issue with the facts and not the person. The more you refer to objectives and results and provide facts about success probability, the more you have their attention.
These people will be turned off if you continually demand documentation or require them to follow policies and procedures. They are pioneers, not followers. If you question their authority or place a ceiling on their earning potential and advancement possibilities, they will go to work for someone else.
One of the key concepts to remember when looking at personality characteristics is that our weaknesses are often extensions of our strengths. These individuals are goal achievers who are forceful, decisive, confident, and persistent. They strive to achieve. This may lead to impatience, workaholism, lack of attention to detail, abrasive interaction with coworkers, and overstepping of privileges.
Who Are the “People” People?
The next container is our people container. If the container is filled below the midline, it usually indicates a person who is unwilling to spend time with other people. Others may perceive him or her as aloof and pessimistic. Th
is person is usually slow to speak out and at times is suspicious of the motives of others. He is usually very conscientious about the way he handles himself in the social and work environment and is careful about his appearance.
You motivate this person by providing a work environment free from social contacts. Allow this individual to think out a problem by himself. He is at his best on projects requiring logical analysis. Superficial and loud people really turn him off.
This congenial though rather reserved person can be quite a problem solver, but if placed in a position of solving “people” problems, he will be quite uncomfortable.
The person who has his people container filled above the midline is normally a very spontaneous person. He is enthusiastic, friendly, and good at persuading others to join him. He is perceived as being poised, charming, emotional, and optimistic. You will recognize him by his ready smile and relaxed and friendly manner. He is very expressive with arms and hands and, if you are around him for any extended period of time, he will hug you or pat you on the back, shoulder, or hand.