14 February 2008

The Tenth Element of Great Managing

Executives who think friendships are none of their business don’t understand human nature

by Rodd Wagner and James K. Harter
Adapted from 12: The Elements of Great Managing (Gallup Press, December 2006)
Post A Comment
Measured by the statement "I have a best friend at work," this element has proven to be incredibly controversial to executives. But those business leaders who think friendships are none of their business don’t understand human nature, according to the authors of 12: The Elements of Great Managing.
James K. Harter, Ph.D., is Chief Scientist Workplace Management and Well-Being for Gallup. He is coauthor of the New York Times bestseller 12: The Elements of Great Managing (Gallup Press, December 2006).
Learn More >>
Rodd Wagner is a Principal for Gallup. He is coauthor of the New York Times bestseller 12: The Elements of Great Managing (Gallup Press, December 2006).
Learn More >>
The content you are attempting to access is for subscribers to the Gallup Management Journal. You can subscribe by choosing the GMJ as one of your subscription selections under My Account. If you are already a subscriber, please log in.
Login
Subscribe
The Q12 items are protected by copyright of Gallup, Inc., 1993-1998. All rights reserved.
Reader Comments
Andrea Sig on 2/14/2008 2:32:16 PM

I enjoyed the article -- it helps to put the rational face on this question, which always raises eyebrows! My own concern about this statement in the Q12 is the word "best." Best is a superlative; there's only one "best." So, if my "best" friend is not at work (and he's not, sicne he is my husband!), I can't answer the question affirmatively. I always wondered why Gallup didn't use the word "good" friend -- which we may have many of, some of which (hopefully) are at work!

Report This Comment as Offensive
karen browning on 2/14/2008 2:37:24 PM

I can't seem to get logged in. HELP

Report This Comment as Offensive
Barbara Sanford, Managing Editor, GMJ on 2/15/2008 5:15:22 PM

Dear Ms. Browning:

Please e-mail GallupHelp@gallup.com for assistance with logging in.

Report This Comment as Offensive
Gene Ames on 2/16/2008 7:54:02 AM

Although controversial, if an employee doesn't have the opportunity to confide in a co-worker on a personal level from time to time, it's just work. The question is highly relevant and should remain in the Q12.

Report This Comment as Offensive
julie.stephens@ahss.org Stephens on 2/19/2008 10:59:15 AM

I agree that, though controversial, the question should remain. Whether or not individuals buy in to the question, it still paints the productivity picture it was intended for. The harder an individual judges the best friend question, reading into it, the more valuable the "strongly agree" answer is to us. This is one question that people aren't likely to just "score average or agree without much thought" as tends to happen on alot of surveys. It's very specific, more so than some of the other Q12 items. It seems to generate more differentiation across answers than others. If we only asked simple, shallow questions on a survey, or only questions people like - we really wouldn't be doing ourselves any favors. From challenge comes change.

Report This Comment as Offensive
Please Login to Comment
Register or Login to add comment
Gallup Usage Policy
Subscribe To GMJ
See Also

World-Class Employee Engagement

The world's top-performing organizations understand that employee engagement is a force that drives business outcomes and is a leading indicator of financial growth. Beyond the dramatic difference engaged workgroups show in productivity, profitability, safety incidents, and absenteeism, engaged organizations have 2.6 times the growth rate in earnings per share (EPS) compared to organizations with lower engagement in the same industry.

World-Class Employee Engagement will take place at locations across the United States. To learn more about the event or to register, visit the World-Class Employee Engagement page on the Gallup Consulting Web site, or contact Mary Penner-Lovci (212.548.2940), Krista Volzke (402.938.6001), or Amy White (609.279.2233).

For a complete schedule of learning opportunities, visit the Gallup Learning Events page.

Copyright © 2008 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.
Gallup®, A8™, Business Impact Analysis™, CE11®, Clifton StrengthsFinder®, the 34 Clifton StrengthsFinder theme names, Customer Engagement Index™, Drop Club®, Emotional Economy™, Employee Engagement Index™, Employee Outlook Index™, Follow This Path™, Gallup Brain®, Gallup Consulting®, Gallup Management Journal®, GMJ®, Gallup Press®, Gallup Publishing™, Gallup Tuesday Briefing®, Gallup University®, HumanSigma®, I10™, L3™, PrincipalInsight™, Q12®, SE25™, SF34®, SRI®, Strengths Spotlight™, Strengths-Based Selling™, StrengthsCoach™, StrengthsFinder®, StrengthsQuest™, TeacherInsight™, The Gallup Path®, and The Gallup Poll® are trademarks of Gallup, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. These materials are provided for noncommercial, personal use only. Reproduction prohibited without the express permission of Gallup, Inc.