Ruth's Blog: Managing Nicely

I heard about an executive who, because of a decision to add new employees to the team faster, took action and made a decree: He told his new young managers to "hire only people they connected with" and within months, he had a totally tattooed workforce*.

This silly story reminded me of years ago when my older brother came home for a holiday visit after securing his first job, I asked him about work. He told me that his learning curve was still very high, but he already knew that work is two things: Your actions count and your actions repeat. He told me of a small decision with action he made that went on unimpeded and became a pervasive part of a system throughout the entire global company. It repeated across time, in the systems, and through the people in the organization.

Just this: Before making that hasty decree to your people, take a moment and think how this will play out. Then track your many decrees because once articulated -- and until you notify every one of a change -- the decrees you make can take on surprising lives of their own.