Recently I oversaw a Wharton Global Consulting Practicum MBA team working on a consulting project for a large international client. The client was one of the toughest people we ever had as a client. He pushed and pushed the team, questioning everything. The client continually asked for justification, evidence, and clear explanation of the thinking behind team ideas and recommendations.
The client often offered differing ideas or meanings for things, pushing the team to defend their own ideas and conclusions. In the midst of this he occasionally offered faint praise for their efforts.
And yet, he did all this without rancor or person attack. He continually pushed back about the work without ever going after any of the team members.
At the end of the project, when he thought they hadn’t strongly enough presented their thinking, he challenged them to revise the final slides and make them stronger. Then he gave them the highest praise for their intelligence, the quality of the work, and the effort they put into the project.
He finished by telling them that in spite of their tearing the company’s current efforts to pieces and recommending major changes…he expected to implement much of their work since they had so clearly shown the need for change and offered excellent ideas for what this change should be.
A few months after the project concluded I had the opportunity to visit the client at his headquarters. The praise was effusive and, yes, the company is in the process of using the recommendations.
As I’ve thought about this, one thing continually jumps out at me. The client is a master at getting the best work possible from his people. No false praise just for showing up, no acceptance of average performance, no interest in half baked ideas or recommendations. He is only interested in driving people to be their best…always.
He’s not nasty, offers no personal attacks, doesn’t raise his voice. He is always polite and professional while tearing into people for offering efforts that aren’t their best. Most importantly, he varied his expectations depending on the skill and knowledge of each person.
When people perform at their best…then his praise comes forth. His praise has great power since people know he really means it…and offers it only when you really shine.
After the project was completed I asked the team how they felt. They were unanimous in first saying how tough it was, how much effort it took, how tired they were. Then with big smiles they told me that it was a fantastic experience…although sometimes painful as it went along, they learned a tremendous amount, and were proud of their accomplishments.
The client pushed, the team responded, and excellence resulted. No false praise, no ribbons just for finishing, no person attacks. Just calm, forceful, direct pressure to justify your thinking and be and do your best.
And they responded as everyone does…with superior performance.