Noise is a Failure of Leadership

I've been thinking about real work vs. the noise of work. The real work is easy to identify...it's what you were hired to do. The noise of work however often supplants the real work.

How does that happen? Why does it happen? What can be done about it?

Three Questions - One Answer
When I was in high school I was never surprised when some kids lived for gossip, acted immature, or thought they were really slick stirring the pot.  I always thought they were embarrassing themselves.

As I entered the workforce I was surprised to see that those behaviors don't stop.

Ever.

1.  How does it happen?
The noise happens because:
- the immaturity that dominated many of our high school classmates simply does not go away
- leadership allows it to happen

2.  Why does it happen?
The noise happens because:
- those same immature and frequently miserable colleagues of ours are so self-absorbed that they are unable to think at the big-picture level. They will never understand how organizations actually function because they are still wallowing in their own mess.
- leadership allows it to happen

3.  What can be done about it?
This one is easy, but most leaders will not do it.
- leadership needs to be direct, even confrontational if necessary, to not only stop the behavior, but to ensure it never happens again (yes, that means sometimes those team members need to move on and mess up the competition instead of your company)

Attention Leaders: Do Your Job
I've worked with so many leaders that are constantly lamenting the fact that certain members of their team are disruptive (not the good way); unable to lead, etc...yet they are unwilling to take firm, decisive action.

Why?

This answer here is easy too. They are scared to death. Leadership is not a popularity contest. Think about all of the other hardworking, loyal employees who are watching you sit idly by as this scorcher of an employee wreaks havoc on the team.

Guess who looks foolish now?

How About You
Isn't it about time you held the negative influencers accountable for real? Just imagine how impressed the rest of your team will be...with you.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Weed Out The Weak

I want you to think about the person on your team who is the most problematic. You know the one...they have loads of potential but somehow can never quite get the traction necessary to keep up. That sense of urgency memo that is the new normal in the world of work never quite made it to their desk.

Now let me ask you...why do they still work for you?

You Don't Have the Guts
This may sound a bit harsh, but let's be honest...you've known for a long time that person should move on to another organization. 

But you haven't stepped up yet.

This may sound cruel, but candidly they are not getting any satisfaction out of their current situation either.

But you haven't stepped up yet.

This may not be politically correct, but I'd rather be honest. Plus, being 'pc' has nothing to do with effective leadership when someone needs to go.

But you haven't stepped up yet.

I told you that you didn't have the guts.

How About You
There is nothing left to say...except this last observation. 

While you're complaining about that employee who needs to go instead of doing something about it, all of your other employees as well as your colleagues are watching you.

Hmmm, I wonder how that looks?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Scorcher

I was in a meeting recently and the topic of conversation shifted to what tools should be put in place in order for leaders to hold their employees accountable.

We discussed the importance of our corporate culture, the progress we were making to achieve a new vision for that culture, and how we might support our leaders to move our company forward. What struck me however was the strong feeling among the team that managers are not able to effectively hold employees accountable unless they have a tool that tells them to do so.

What? Wait a minute. Since when do pieces of paper dictate effective leadership behaviors?

Since never, that's when. 

Leaders Are Afraid

Working in human resources for so long has given me a unique perspective that most operations  leaders don't see; that is, leaders are afraid to confront employees who misbehave. There, I said it. You can disagree, but you will be wrong. 

Leaders are afraid.

In HR we see this regularly....the difficult employee who blazes a trail of manipulation and morale killing behaviors across the department but is not held accountable in a timely manner. I fondly refer to this type of employee as the "Scorcher." I think it is a fitting label.

The problem is that many leaders are unwilling to hold the Scorcher accountable because they lack the confidence necessary to do their job in difficult situations. There, I said that too.

It's not a character flaw of the leader; in fact, most leaders want to do the right thing. Unfortunately they usually have not reached out to the team that can help them gain that confidence and follow through (read here --> the Human Resources team!) 

Expectations Are Important

Now let's go back to the discussion of leadership tools. While I believe it is absolutely essential for behavioral expectations to be communicated and committed to across the company; I do not believe a piece of paper is the tipping point that separates effective leadership from the  morass of mediocre leaders.

People drive change. Paper kills trees. There is a big difference. 

How About You

Who is the Scorcher in your organization? Have you helped a struggling leader gain the confidence necessary to deal with those issues? It's our job to do so. Remember, the Scorcher will burn up that piece of paper in an instant if their leader doesn't step up and lead the way.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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