the way they want to be treated, not the way you’d like to be treated

3. Treat people the way they want to be treated, not the way you’d like to be treated

The Golden Rule "Treat others the way you’d like to be treated" is appropriate for many purely social aspects of life, but not always appropriate for work.

Effective managers learn how each member of their staff wants to be treated. Some people want specific tasks and instructions, while others prefer more general information. Some people are motivated by solving new, tough, complex problems, but others are only comfortable when dealing with things they already know how to do to.

In addition to working differently, we all prefer different types of recognition. Money is not the only method of recognition you can use to reward your staff. Some people are motivated by private thank-yous, some by public recognition, some by M&Ms or movie tickets, some by a team party. Remember that whatever motivates you will not necessarily motivate every member of your staff. Talk to your team members to learn what form of recognition each prefers to receive.

- Johanna Rothman, Successful Engineering Management: 7 Lessons Learned