In one of my earlier roles, a peer heading a different Function had an Associate Manager (AM) in his team who used to be a complainer. His manager was not happy with him.
The AM used to keep whining about the things around him. I was told that he was upset with a lot of things. He raised these issues in meetings much to the anger of his colleagues. While other AMs in the team went about their lives quietly, this particular AM stood out like a sore thumb. He was being termed a ‘high maintenance’ resource.
Since AMs did not have access to formal coaching, I was informally requested to coach him. I was introduced to him by my peer and I began having informal conversations with him.
In the first brief introductory meeting, I could make out that this AM was quite upset. It showed in the way he referred to his other colleagues and the way he saw how the organization functioned. He seemed quite frustrated.
In the next meeting, I could see that he was upset with how data was being captured, managed and reported out. He was upset that vendors were not being treated properly. He was upset that their invoices were being missed and the organization was requesting duplicate invoices from them.
After the meeting, I mulled over our conversation. I realized that if I could set aside how he was communicating and just focus on the essence of what he was saying, he was raising some very important issues relating to how things around him functioned. He was deeply upset with broken promises, poor delivery and missed deadlines. He just didn’t like the way things worked…or didn’t work.
My hypothesis was further validated in the following meeting. He was actually the organization’s ‘friend’ and not a ‘high maintenance’ resource. No organization would want to build a performance culture of broken promises, poor delivery and missed deadlines. He was functioning as the organization’s eyes and ears on the ground. If only I could have him articulate his issues in a constructive way, he could become a valued member of the organization.
I gave him some homework. I requested him to write down his top 10 issues on a sheet of paper. I asked him to break them into themes such as Data, Logistics and so on.
He came back to me the next day with his list. Next, I requested him to think of solutions or even some broad indication of solutions. He was to also map the solutions to the issues on a 4-blocker – the X-axis showing ‘Ease of Implementation’ and the Y-axis showing ‘Impact’.
I explained to him what it meant with his own examples. I was actually helping him prioritize those issues which had easy solutions and whose impact would be felt quickly. He was to put the issues (and likely solutions) in the appropriate quadrant of the 4-blocker. He would automatically get his priorities right.
He came back the next day, beaming. Though he was still surrounded by the same issues, he didn’t seem upset or frustrated. I thought he had found a way to articulate the issues in a constructive way. He thought he could solve the issues or at least he saw a hope of solving those issues. We went over the 4-blocker and made a few changes.
His articulation of the issues (and likely hint of solutions) now seemed solid and because it appeared on a template, there was no unhelpful emotion or drama. Many a time, drama can deflect our attention from the principal focus area.
Also, now, there was some visibility into solutions – they may not be the final solutions or they may not at all be the solutions but a start had been made. With a priority list, he was also telling the organization where the organization’s energy could be directed. Instead of being a part of the problem, he was now being a part of the solution.
I prepared him for a presentation.
It was a happy ending. Keeping organization protocols in mind, my peer first saw the AM’s presentation in private. He saw a lot of merit in it and constituted a small team led by the AM to explore the solutions and implement them, as appropriate. The AM’s manager was also looped in to take care of any sensitivities.
After his presentation, the AM came and met me. He wanted to take me out for coffee. At the cafe, he insisted on paying the bill. I could sense his happiness at the turn of events.
In my view, we need more employees who get ‘upset’ with poor quality of products and services. At first glance, they could appear as ‘high maintenance’ resources if they don’t know how to articulate their issues in a constructive way. Many employees see things with a fresh pair of eyes and with their refreshing perspectives, energy and a dose of idealism, they get ‘upset’. In my view such ‘upsets’ are a good thing. In my view, there are far too many people who don’t get ‘upset’ and are willing to go with the flow.
As Leaders, it is our role to create avenues for appropriate articulation of such ‘upsets’. A constructive articulation of such ‘upsets’ with a hint of solutions could build a culture of problem-solving and ownership within the organization.
Such ‘upsets’ help organizations become Brilliant @ Basics.
As a consultant, I am currently working with the Leadership team of a non-profit. I am engaged in helping the team articulate their Values in a way that is practical. In this direction, I am building a set of Leadership Behaviors that will reflect the organization’s Values. Since one of the expectations is Continuous Improvement, I have recommended building an Idea Generation movement for the employees to take charge of identifying issues and working towards implementing solutions. In my opinion, solutions are best found by those who are impacted by the issues.
I am keen to learn of your views on this article. You can contact me at [email protected].
