Some of the most important lessons I have learned in leadership, management, and organizational development have come from the people that I work with every day. Just yesterday I was having a conversation with one of my chief “feelers” on the team. (Mind you being a “feeler” is a good thing. If you don’t have one or aren’t one you are leaving a lot of people behind in your team) He told me that combined with the latest company announcement about an internal struggle, my continued demand for higher, faster, quicker results, and the push to put every dollar on the bottom line, as well as perfect delivery for the guest, I may have pushed some overboard. Initially, I thought, crap this is one of the things I always fear! Did I lose them and they have now labeled me as just another corporate hack or is this just their reaction to another “bar raising” and they will be ok.
High expectation and demand for results
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Can you help me complete my resume?
Note the fine line between these two issues. Here is where the rubber meets the road and you can set yourself apart in your leadership and continue to develop your credibility and long term effectiveness in the eyes of your team.
First - Identify everyone that is spending time on this fine line
Second – Stop what you are doing and go face to face with each one of them
Third – Explain that you know you have pushed them to this level and that they may be struggling to understand or even angry about it
Fourth – Tell them why you are asking for so much and the importance to the overall mission and their long term success and most importantly, you believe in them
Fifth – Ask them where they see the obstacles in overcoming the expectation and actually help them to remove at least one of those obstacles
Sixth – thank them for being honest, thank them for taking on the challenge, and make sure they understand you couldn’t do what you are doing with out them
Engage them and don’t be afraid of their pushback. If your team isn’t pushing back on you, you aren’t pushing forward on them.
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5 comments:
Andy,
I've been to the edge before, felt like I was going to fall in, sometimes felt like jumping in myself, just to end the madness.
I know what they are feeling, what I was feeling.
I've been on both positions of the cliff. I was the one being pushed and the one who was pushing.
Yes, it's a fine line, and yes COMMUNICATION is definitely the key to unlocking your answer.
In my humble opinion, your 6 steps will: 1.help you achieve your goals, 2.gain respect and cooperation from your people, and 3. afford you the least amount of casualties.
Always wishing you the greatest success,
Bill
Communication isn't the answer - communication is already happening. Coaching is. "Freaking out" and "Pushback" occur when you have not done two things:
1. Developed the necessary skill sets in your players, and
2. Coached them through their improved abilities to raise their own bar.
You cannot raise someone else's bar if you truly want a higher performing culture. They have to raise it themselves. They will only do so with improved skills and increased self-confidence which only comes from great Coaching.
Jeffrey, as usual your comment hits the nail right on the head.
You are right..on your journey to what you describe, if you aren't already there then a gap exists.
We are developing the "necessary skill sets" and "coaching them to raise their own bar" but if the team hasn't seen those things before there will be some sense of fear, concern, pushback, etc.
I think you have to assure them it is all part of the master plan and communicate with them as described.
Assurances do nothing to calm the anxiety people feel when adopting to new ways of thinking and acting. What does are the small successes they have along the way. That's why it's imperative that you build them into the training & Coaching you give them. When they see that they are having success at mastering the new skills being demanded of them, they will adopt quicker and achieve better results without the anxiety and frustration that comes from their feelings of 'going it alone'.
Well said!
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