Met with a client this morning. We talked. We talked about “Betty.” She works really hard and is very competent at her work. She gets stuff done. She also wrecks havoc in the office; seems so familiar doesn’t it.
My client has tolerated this for years. He told me there are other thngs more important. This one will take too much energy to fix and people don’t change their stripes after 50 years. He told me he had already “turned the corner.”
Translation…she’s been written off. Kinda like bad debt you just haven’t taken it off the books yet. He told me that none of my “rah, rah” could make it any better. He would simply deal with it when he “had the time” and when the business could afford it.
We disagreed. We will disagree again, I’m fairly confident.
I hear this same refrain all to often. People that are problems get dealt with when the boss has time. Translation…problem associates get shot in the back of the head, knifed in the back and sent into the weeds when the leader has no use for them.
This is harsh. This is not the BUILT TO LEAD way.
Stop doing the same thing to your team. Stop treating people like people only when you have the time and when your business can afford it.
Tell them what you want and ask them what they want. Deal with the conflict NOW.
Remember, when the leader stops believing
SOMEONE will soon be-leaving.
Problems are not self healing systems and people are not things.
How you doing?
BUILT TO LEAD 