Whether you’re the team leader of two or three people, or the company president, Mary Kay can help you become a better people manager. In Mary Kay on People Management, you’ll find an excellent guide to the nurturing style of management that has helped her cosmetics firm grow from a nine woman sales force to a booming $600 million business with over 200,000 employees. Following Zig Ziglar’s slogan “You can get everything in life you want, if you help enough other people get what they want,” Mary Kay Ash believes that salespeople produce results for the company when they get what they want – recognition, praise, rewards for a job well done, and consideration. Cogs in a wheel don’t sell – people do.

The editors of PSP have selected five of Mary Kay’s principles to help you become a better people manager.

1. PRAISE PEOPLE TO SUCCESS

“I believe praise is the best way for a manager to motivate people,” says Mary Kay, “but it must be given sincerely. Although salespeople often ask ‘What did I do wrong?’ they will respond better and work harder if you tell them what they did right.”

Here are some suggestions for praising your people to success:

Verbal Praise. Tell your salespeople they’re doing well by saying, “You did a great job,” “You’re the best rep we’ve had in this area for a long time,” or “I don’t know how you do it, month after month . . .”

Applause. Praise your people in front of their peers at sales meetings, at special ceremonies and in front of top company officials.

Visual Recognition. Let them stand up, appear on stage to accept an award or give a speech.

Symbols. Give them ribbons, pins, special blazers, car emblems and other concrete signs of recognition.

In Print. Get their names in the company newsletter, the business section of the local paper or create your own team or division publication.

2. DON’T UNDERVALUE THE ABILITY TO LISTEN

“Good people managers are likely to listen more than they speak,” advises Mary Kay. “Perhaps that’s why God gave us two ears and only one mouth. Often, people will come up with their own solutions to problems if you let them have their say and then ask, ‘What do you think you ought to do?”

Good listening skills can be developed with a little practice. Some important points to remember are:

Give your Undivided Attention. In a crowd, make the person feel as though he’s the only person there: one-to-one, don’t let your mind wander.

Look Directly At The Person. This shows that you’re paying attention and keeps distractions out of sight.

Don’t Let Prejudices Break Your Concentration. Profanity, accents or irritating speech habits aren’t more important than the person’s thoughts – listen to the message.

Wait Your Turn. Don’t prepare what you’ll say next while the rep is still speaking; you’ll be too busy to hear what he’s saying.

Ask Subtle Questions. This encourages your people to continue talking and shows that you’ve been listening.

3. SANDWICH CRITICISM BETWEEN PRAISE

“I don’t think it’s ever appropriate for a manager to criticize an individual,” Mary Kay stresses. “There are times when a manager must communicate dissatisfaction, but it should be directed at what’s wrong, not at who’s wrong. A manager should be able to tell someone when something is wrong without bruising an ego in the process.”

First, create a good atmosphere for communication by removing the physical barrier of an office desk – an authority symbol. This lets you come across as a friend and co-worker, not “the boss.” Your goal is to be tender and tough by combining empathy and compassion with your supervisory authority. You’ll be most effective if you “sandwich the criticism between two heavy layers of praise.” When you praise before and after discussing the problem, you start out on a positive note and end in a friendly manner. And keep in mind that women tend to take criticism more personally, probably because they, as children, were not subjected to the harsh criticism from their peers that young boys are.

“It’s completely inexcusable for a manager to chastise someone in the presence of others. It’s self-defeating and downright cruel.” You can get your message across in a subtle way by using the problem as a topic of your next sales meeting. Everyone, including the person who needs the advice, will learn something. Or have the person train others in their problem area (prospecting, making presentations, etc.) because it will give him a reason to research and analyze the best way to improve.

“Be an ally, not a harsh critic, so your employees will do their best not to let you down.”

4. PEOPLE SUPPORT WHAT THEY HELP CREATE

Mary Kay points out that “if you change quotas, marketing strategies, or compensation plans without consulting your people you’re only hurting yourself.” People naturally resist change and they don’t like losing what they’ve already got – like status, money or independence. If a change is necessary, seek the support of your people and ask for their suggestions.

“During the energy crunch,” she recalls, “I heard about a manufacturing company that was exploring ways to reduce its overhead.” At the time, all executives were flying first class so someone suggested that in the future only individuals above a certain level be permitted that luxury.

“The committee surveyed its executives, and their reaction was emphatic. They felt that the practice would result in a class system, dividing the management into first- and second-class executives, the haves and have-nots.” Obviously morale would suffer with this change, but the company still had to reduce overhead costs. “Many of the executives offered alternative ways to cut costs. In fact, their suggestions represented much greater savings to the company than the change in first-class flying privileges would have produced.”

“Keep in mind that change is not necessarily progress,” warns Mary Kay. “Change for the sake of change may improve nothing but your chances of being disappointed. At Mary Kay, we know that people react favorably to whatever changes they help to create.”

5. REDUCE STRESS

“A good manager minimizes stress for his people,” she explains. “Some stress is good, even necessary. The flow of adrenaline can heighten a performance before a group or a single client.” But “dictator-type” managers who are always ready to “jump on their people for even minor problems” creating tension, which is counterproductive to efficiency and healthy morale.

Be decisive. A manager’s indecisiveness can frustrate employees: they don’t know what’s expected of them and always fear they’re doing the wrong thing. Provide direction but don’t be inflexible, expect excellence but don’t be a perfectionist, set deadlines but make them realistic.

Change also produces stress, so be sure that your people know what’s coming. Just as being consulted about change produces cooperation, being prepared for change reduces stress. Whether it’s an office relocation or a revision in commission schedules, give your people lots of lead time to adjust and encourage them to ask questions about the new situation or policy.

An open door management policy can make talking to “the boss” a constructive communication pattern rather than a stressful ordeal. Make yourself available and you’ll get all the feedback you need to keep managing successfully.