Do you ever have trouble getting people to give you what you want when you want it? Do you find yourself explaining things over and over to people with the expectation that if they really understood what you wanted and why, they would give it to you? It could be that you are using the wrong tool.
Many managers believe that understanding is key to getting people to act. Managers spend a considerable amount of time explaining, describing, and discussing things on the assumption that if people really understand what is needed, they will be motivated to do it. The problem, however, is that understanding alone is not sufficient to get people to act. People understand that if they want to lose weight, they need to eat less and exercise more. But that doesn’t get them to exercise. The same is true with people at work. Just because they understand the need for something, doesn’t mean they will do it.
If you want to increase the likelihood of people taking action, use REQUESTS and PROMISES. The intent of a request is to have someone else commit to producing a specific result or completing a specific action by some due date by asking them to do so. Here’s an example of a request: “This is what I’d like you to do: Have the XYZ report on my desk by 5 PM this Thursday. Will you do that?” When they accept your request, they make an agreement with you to produce the result or complete the action. Of course, they can also decline your request or counteroffer.
The intent of a promise is to have you take action by saying you will produce a specific result or complete an action by a specified time. Here’s an example of a promise: “If you need support on getting the report done, I will assign someone else to help you by the end of today.”
When people accept your requests and you make promises, both of you know what is to be done and by when. They are no longer left to figure out what you want based on their understanding – you have told them. Making this switch from “understanding” to “performance” (requests and promises) makes a remarkable difference in managers getting what they want, when they want it.
