I looked up Spots & Myers on Google but I can find no reference. Anyone heard of them? Could this be Isabel Briggs Myers? Hmmm.

Things a manager should do to ensure his team is not productive:

• Ask as much as possible
• Criticise his employees in front of their colleagues
• Blame them for their mistakes
• Treat them without any respect for their feelings
• Do not consult before taking action
• Do not explain your actions
• Refuse to take your employees’ ideas into account

Things a manager should do to ensure his team is productive:

• Provide structure
• Inform
• Listen
• Encourage new ideas and responsibilities
• Consult before taking action
• Show your esteem
• Spend more time on building relationships than technical problems

And with that said, I think the above makes a good reminder of communication objectives for my next mission: communication and team coaching for a complex and pressurized IT project at a major French telecommunication company that is undergoing major contractual changes.

Bon weekend!

Nicholas

[updated with English translation on 6 June 2007,  original French is below]

Ce qu’un chef doit faire pour que l’équipe ne soit pas productive:

• Demander plus que possible
• Critiquer ses collaborateurs devant leurs collègues
• Les blâmer pour leurs erreurs
• Les traiter sans respect pour leurs sentiments
• Déclencher l’action sans consulation
• Ne pas expliquer les actions
• Refuser de prendre les idées des collaborateurs en considération

Ce qu’un chef doit faire pour que l’équipe soit productive:

• Prévoir une structure
  
• Informer
  
• Ecouter avant de passer à l’action
• Entraîner à plus d’idées, de responsabilités
• Déclencher l’action après consultation
• Montrer de l’estime
• Passer plus de temps sur les rapports humains que sur les problèmes techniques