"Employees will only do what you inspect, not what you expect"

I heard that from another speaker at a conference I attended.

I was impressed at what an enlightened and evolved outlook he had.

I am being sarcastic.

I am being sarcastic.

"If you don't get any from above, you won't find any coming from below."

Why would an employee do stuff at work that the employer doesn't expect him to do?

They can dish it out, but they can't take it.

The person's 'witty quote', while perhaps a bit harsh, is also rather accurate more often than not.

I've been a manager before, and despite the respect given to my employee's there were always some -- and often many -- who would just as soon tell a bald-faced lie to me about what they had accomplished as to actually do it, even knowing I was going to go out and look. (We're talking restaurant here)

The tendency I see in the responses so far is 'geez, what a neanderthal'. He might want to reconsider how useful starting at that point is, but don't browbeat him for being a birt cynical in regards to how much 'voluntary' work an employee is willing to do when you often have to stand over their shoulders just to get the minimum.