Employee Regret Over Choices They Made Can Influence Their Behavior

Today’s best managers know that employee regrets can influence employee behaviors over time. Employees may feel guilty about how they spent their time off and employees may regret the choices that they made about their leisure time. Employees who completely take time off from work to relax tend to regret not working through their breaks, but their regret fades quickly over time. However, employees who work through their breaks tend to regret doing so over time, but they also have ever-growing feelings of resentment about having missed out during their break. Help your employees lessen their feelings of resentment and regret no matter what choices they make.

Source: Keinan, A., & Kivetz. R. 2008, July-August. When virtue is a vice. Harvard Business Review, 22-23.

Relying Solely on Intuition Can Result In Poor Managerial Decisions

Managers many believe that using one’s gut is just as effective as using one’s brain for making managerial decisions. Indeed, many movies and television shows portray a rebellious leader who uses only their gut intuition to determine a course of action. Today’s best managers know that intuition alone is not the best way to make decisions. The best way to make decisions is through a balanced blend of intuition, personal experiences, individual judgment, and thorough and careful analysis of reliable data.

Source: Clancy, K. J., & Krieg, P. C. 2008. Management myth #1: Your gut is not smarter than your head. Leadership Excellence, 25/4, p. 12.

Simple Steps to Help Employees Cope With Organizational Changes

Today’s best managers know that they need to manage change so that employee attitudes and behaviors don’t suffer as a result of the change. Employees who believe that they have been involved in a change process and who feel that they have been included in decision-making will cope more effectively with change than will employees who don’t feel this way. Keeping employees informed and consulted during changes helps create social pressure among employees, and that influences employees to support each other. Giving employees accurate and timely information helps them have a sense of predictability, which gives them more control, and helps them feel more capable during changes.

Source: Jimmieson, N. L., Peach, M., & White, K. M. 2008. Utilizing the theory of planned behavior to inform change management: An investigation of employee intention to support organizational change. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 44, 237-262.

Conflict May Only Be Helpful Under Certain Organizational Conditions

Managers used to believe that conflict in the workplace would help employees make better decisions. It was thought that moderate conflict would help employees discuss options and not make decisions too quickly. Today’s best managers know that conflict is only helpful under a very narrow set of conditions. More specifically, the conflict is work-related, does not involve personal or political matters, should be moderate, and the team members feel safe and trust each other. In other types of situations, the benefits of conflict may not outweigh the negatives, so managers should lessen the level of conflict among employees.

Source: De Drue, C. K. W. 2008. The virtue and vice of workplace conflict: Food for (pessimistic) thought. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 29, 5-18.

Postponing Decisions Until You Are Prepared May Be The Best Way To Go

Many managers feel that they are under a great deal of pressure to make decisions extremely quickly. In school, students learn that those who raise their hand the fastest with the right answer receive the most praise. However, today’s best managers know that answering too quickly may not be the best response. Instead, take your time and fully prepare before you decide what to do. Deadlines may be important, but in most cases, there will be other people in your organization to help you meet your deadlines. The manager who is the most ready to make a decision will be the one who is the most successful.

Source: Schwarzman, S. A. 2008, June. The best advice I ever got. Harvard Business Review, 31.