If you want someone to do something for you whether it be a worker or your children, try doing it with them once in a while. I know that being a boss has other responsibilities and menial tasks are beneath you but sometimes you will garner the respect of others by showing them that you know how to do the job you are asking them to do and you do it very efficiently.
By watching you do something that you are proficient at others can learn from your expertise. I have worked at many jobs where the owner of the company will give me a task that they themselves have no idea how to do. They will criticize the job after it's been completed and say something like it's not up to their standards. If you ask them to show you how they would like it done they go into some nonsense of time restraints and go back to drinking coffee and chatting up the secretary. Later you may learn that they have never done what they have asked you to do.
Another scenario is a parent giving out chores to their children but never help them do them, they will claim that it's their kids job and theirs. My mother would occasionally help me with a chore she had asked me to do. Not only did it help me do the job better but it was a good bonding moment where we were doing something productive together.
When I started my tree business I did everything myself, I had no workers because I couldn't afford any. After about a year of hard work I started to get some help and it was great, but it went to my head and I expected them to do a job I didn't think I should do anymore and I would go and sit in the truck while they worked. They resented me and it put a wall between the worker and myself, the job they were doing was starting to get sloppy and I would get angry at them for being lazy. This didn't fix the problem.
I did fix the problem when I asked myself "How can I ask them to do something I wouldn't do myself?" The next job we did together I didn't complain or yell, I just started helping them finish up what they were doing and helped with the menial tasks and instantly the jobs started to get better. My workers worked harder and respected my work ethic and they themselves tried to match my pace and finish before I could help them so I would respect them in turn.
All the yelling complaining and threats in the world won't make someone do something better, if they respect you and what you do, it may inspire them to be better. Lead by example.
Scott Goerz
