The root cause of many problems facing organizations today, including lacklustre performance, is a shortage of standards of behaviour, according to management trainer Eric Papp. Most managers would likely agree that far too much time is spent grappling with time-consuming, frustrating challenges that arise when team members don’t follow through on commitments.

In his new book, Manage Promises Not People: How to Create a Self-Managing Team, Papp unpacks the inefficiencies of micromanagement and shares ways for leaders to create a culture of ownership and personal accountability by raising the bar of behaviour. “Micromanagement is what happens when you manage the person instead of their promises,” Papp said. “When we honour our promises and ensure others do the same, we make things happen and feel more in control and confident.”

One of North America’s top management trainers, Papp has worked directly with thousands of managers and delivered over 350 professional training programs to corporate and private clients. His mission is to help leaders uncover effective skills that can lead to more productive, harmonious and successful outcomes.

In Manage Promises Not People, Papp reminds readers of the importance of accountability, integrity and honouring one’s word through stories, examples and exercises that can help anyone become a more effective leader.

Chapters explore:

• The disappointing trend of diminishing promises;

• Creating a culture of ownership;

• Honoring your word (and the impact of not doing so);

• Staying committed while overcoming perfectionism;

• Repairing broken promises; and

• Coaching others to honour their word.

Scott Woitas, Senior Manager at Donaldson Company, Inc., said the book “is a must-read for anyone. As a whole, we have lost the fact that ‘our word is our bond,’ and it reflects on our integrity, both in our professional and personal lives. Manage Promises Not People will get you back on track to be the person everyone knows they can rely on because you say what you’re going to do, and you do what you said you were going to do.”