A quick story....years ago I worked at a health system, and at the time was leading the employment and employee relations teams. One of the long-time IT managers had a growing problem in his department between two of his team members. When I asked him what he was doing about it (the issue had deteriorated so badly that I was made aware) he simply stated "they are adults and should be able to figure it out."
Sigh.
Yes, they should be able to...and...no, they absolutely are not able to. That is why you need to lead the team, build rigor into the leadership culture, and not hide behind your insecurities and hope for the best.
Show of hands: how many of us have been frustrated with leaders that won't hold their team members accountable?
I believe I see everyone's hand in the air.
But why? This was a real issue in my organization thirty years ago...how can this still be a persistent problem today?
I do know the answer, and it's a simple one.
Fear.
Fear of confrontation.
Fear of looking ineffective in the eyes of others.
Fear is a real thing. Sadly, many managers are not equipped to address those fears (at least not yet.) That's where we as HR leaders come in...we need to support the managers so they will have the competence and confidence to handle difficult issues.
What do you think? Are your leaders people leaders; or, do they simply manage processes and hope everyone plays nicely together?
Thanks for being here.
Jay
