18
Mean What You Say

Jessie, a very active little girl, proved to be more than her mother could handle while they waited in line at a deli during the busy lunch hour. The mother held a baby in her arms and tried to keep track of Jessie, who was determined to explore.

“Jessie, I’ll give you a cookie if you stand in line,” the mother said.

“Okay,” Jessie agreed. Seconds later, she was roaming the deli.

She was so busy flitting about and grabbing chips and other things nearby at one point that she mistakenly grabbed my leg as I stood in line ahead of the family.

Each time the girl escaped from the line, the mother reiterated her cookie rewards plan. Finally they made their way to the cash register and the desserts. As a cashier was bagging my order, I overhead the mother ask, “ Jessie, what kind of cookie would you like?”

Jessie got her cookies. She also learned a bad lesson: Mommy doesn’t always mean what she says.

That kind of credibility gap can be disastrous when dealing with problem employees. If they don’t believe they should take your demands for better performances seriously, then you’ll hold no more sway over them than Jessie’s mom did over her.