People Respect What You Inspect

The principle "People Respect What You Inspect" highlights that team members will prioritize and value what their leaders consistently check and follow up on.

Key Idea

If you want your team to adopt a new system, process, or behavior, you must regularly inspect their progress. Without inspection, even the most well-designed systems are likely to be ignored or forgotten over time.

Applications

• Implementing New Systems: When implementing a new system like the Six Steps to Great Time Management, managers should regularly check if their team members are following the steps.
• Sales Performance: Tracking sales activities, not just results, to ensure that the team is putting in the necessary effort.
• Quality Control: Regularly inspecting the quality of work to maintain high standards.

Implications

• Accountability: Inspection creates a culture of accountability.
• Reinforcement: It reinforces the importance of the desired behavior.
• Discipline: It requires discipline from leaders to consistently inspect and follow up.