There are no 100% solutions. In the real world, managers will always be busy with their own work, they will usually have more people to manage than they can keep track of, they will lack sufficient time and resources, and they will get tangled up in red tape. There are very real obstacles that make it hard for managers to practice the basics when it comes to managing people...

So then how can managers learn to practice the basics on a regular and consistent basis? Of course, nobody can learn new skills and develop new habits overnight. But if you learn concrete behaviors and keep practicing them, over time these new behaviors turn into habits. And if you learn concrete techniques and keep practicing them, over time these new techniques turn into skills. That's why we concentrate in our MANAGER'S BOOT CAMP™ on teaching a straightforward repertoire of behaviors and techniques:

ONE. Become extremely knowledgeable about the tasks and responsibilities of each direct report. Know enough to know what can be done every day and what cannot be done; what resources will be necessary; what problems may occur; and what expectations are reasonable.

TWO. Spend time with every direct report in regular coaching sessions talking about what to do and how to do it. Clarify expectations every step of the way. Take charge and offer clear direction. Talk about to-do lists and priorities. Help anticipate potential problems and avoid them. Suggest best practices and even short cuts.

THREE. Give every individual a chance to set and meet ambitious goals and deadlines on a regular basis; have an accurate ongoing analysis of each individual's performance; and document all of this clearly and consistently in writing, in a daily record.

FOUR. Deal with performance problems immediately and aggressively. First start supervising much more closely, focusing the person on more narrow goals and deadlines, with frequent monitoring and measuring. If this fails, then confront the problem directly and insist on a plan to solve it. If this fails, remove that low performer from the team.

FIVE. Tie rewards to performance and nothing else. Give higher scores to those who deserve them. Work with limited bonus pools and allocate funds, not evenly, but rather according to performance. Use limited spot bonus funds to reward some higher performers.

SIX. Be creative and gain control of as many discretionary resources as possible. Use them as "bargaining chips" to negotiate for increased performance. Try to find every employee's "needle in a haystack"---his/her unique needs and wants---and use those needles to motivate direct reports.