As “working with and through others” is our theme this month, I thought I might tackle a subject that may be less-than-popular, but certainly one that deserves some daylight nonetheless.
As a leader, or a manager, have you ever found yourself wanting more for one of your team members than maybe they appear to want themselves?
Often the sincerest of leaders stress over the development of their people. They ask them questions like:
- What else would you like to learn or what additional projects would you like to be involved with?
- How would you like to grow?
- What expansion plans do you have for your team?
- What role would you like to assume next?
These are all great questions and ones that are appropriate to ask of high-performers who appear to be ambitious and ready for another opportunity and challenge.
However, when the leader asking those questions receives, what they perceive, as lackluster or low-aspirational answers to those questions, they can become disappointed.
I hear it often. In what seems like a span of a few minutes, a very solid contributor can be viewed as a liability to the team and all of a sudden an impediment to growth. A leader will ask me rhetorical questions I have no business answering like: “Don’t they want more for themselves? Don’t they want to grow?”
To which my responses usually go a little something like ‘dis…
Hey, hey, hey, slow your roll…
Is there a possibility that your solid contributor is happy right where they are, doing the work they’re good at, without matching the high-aspirational goals you have for them?
If they are meeting and exceeding expectations, isn’t that a good thing?
Might you be more invested in their “development” than they are?
Can you accept these answers?
I know it doesn’t always follow the pattern of “bigger, better, more…” but if it’s working, it’s okay to let it work.
*This Thought Partner is not about encouraging the retention of poor or underperformers. By all means, take action to invest or divest where appropriate in those situations.*
