Lumberjack Or Gardener?

When it comes to correcting employees, are you a lumberjack or are you a gardener?

A lumberjack uses an axe to make broad sweeping strokes and chop down trees. On the other hand, a gardener makes cuts with an attitude of pruning, molding, shaping and helping things grow. Recently, I spoke with a client who was behaving like a lumberjack. (He gave me permission to share this story.) We were talking on the phone in a coaching call and he used phrases I'd never heard from him before, such as "I blasted that employee" and "that was a stupid mistake." He repeated these phrases over and over. As I helped him work through the issues, he realized the way he was behaving was not really congruent with his personal values. I gave him three tools to use when correcting employees—call them gardening tools:

1. Never respond to a first instance. We all make mistakes and, most of the time, we all recognize when we make those mistakes. It's no different with your employees. By giving them a little bit of space to make mistakes and correct themselves, you'll empower them. Now, obviously, if the mistake causes blatant harm to the company, you'll need correct immediately. Yet for majority of mistakes that your employees make, you can back up and give them a little bit of room.
2. Correct quickly with clarity. Many "lumberjack" leaders allow poor employee behavior to occur repeatedly and they keep their frustration bottled up. After weeks or even months of this self-restraint, they explode. Instead, when you see something that's out of place, on the second instance, jump right in and correct. Do it with clarity, focusing on actions and results instead of personal opinions or emotions. In other words, describe what actions they did and what result they got from those actions. Then describe what different actions you want from the employee, and what different results will come from those actions.
3. After correction, be supportive and caring. Sincerely tell the employee how important they are to you and to the company. Be as specific as possible. This will help them help them realize that you're not the enemy. You're their friend—a gardener. As a leader, you're there to help them grow and improve not just for the company but for their personal career, too.

Use these three simple "gardening" tools consistently, and over time your employees will begin to view you as a trusted mentor and a resource for their success.

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