When Enough is Enough

(Fourth in a series on Aligning for Productivity)

"Failure to deal with the problems people and organizations face can be the most unloving action of all."

(Leith Anderson, Dying for Change)

"Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is… self‑condemned."

(Titus 3:10-11)

For many supervisors the most difficult part of leadership is confronting someone whose behavior or performance is unacceptable. Remember, the purpose of corrective action is not to punish the individual for poor behavior or poor performance. Instead, your goal as a leader should be to help the person find the best place where their personal sense of calling, vision and life goals are aligned with and contributing to the organization's vision and mission. It is your responsibility as a leader to help people understand the vision and adjust their behaviors to align with it to the degree that they can. .

A noncompliant person should be made aware of the consequences of continued failure to meet expectations. Even if the individual becomes grudgingly compliant, there comes a point where such passive-aggressive behavior becomes destructive and unacceptable. I have found the two-warning rule to be very helpful in such cases. It's one thing for a person to use their influence to effect change that can help the organization fulfill its mission. It's something else entirely, however, when the complaints become destruction and contrary to the direction established by the organization's leadership.

Outplacement is often seen as a heartless action. The real heartless action, however, is when an unacceptable behavior is allowed to go unchecked until things have gotten unbearable for others working close to the offending individual. It's like a father I overheard "correcting" his young child who was misbehaving: "I'm only going to warn you about this 17 more times and then I'm really going to do something about it!" Of course, the child went on being obnoxious and unruly, disturbing everyone else within sight or sound.

Supervisors should recognize that failure to take administrative action hurts both the offending individual and the whole organization. Sometimes, the most loving action a leader can take is to help dissatisfied individuals to discover another place where their personal sense of calling can align with and contribute positively to the vision of that organization.

Grudgingly compliant people can be like a cancer growing in the organization. The longer you delay taking definitive action, the more you allow the cancer to grow. Long-growing cancers require more extensive surgery and more serious post-operative treatment. In the same way, if corrective actions have not helped the individual to make the necessary attitudinal change in a reasonable (and clearly stated) time frame, then the longer you postpone taking action, the more difficult it will be.

The most loving action for all concerned might be to help the individual find another place of service where he or she can find satisfaction and fulfillment. If that is within your organization, that's great... as long as you are not just transferring your problems to another department! If it is in another place, that's great too. Either way, you have the opportunity to help someone reach their maximum potentiality and productivity while also maximizing your organization's resources to realize its vision.

Leadership Hints

• Don't make the mistake of ignoring the problem and hoping it will go away on its own.
• Also, don't make the mistake of jumping to the conclusion that just firing someone will make everything all better.
• Talk with people about the source of their dissatisfaction. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Make every effort to help them grow to an acceptable level of compliance.
• Describe for yourself what the change in behavior will look like, when the change must be made, and how you will know steps are being taken toward the change. Then communicate these very clearly and positively to the individual.
• Don't make threats, but do keep your word--follow through on corrective actions.

Followership Hints

• You really do have a choice.
• Take responsibility for your own attitude and actions.
• Recognize that negative attitudes and actions usually do not produce positive reactions.
• If you have tried to offer positive suggestions of ways to make things better and they have been rejected or ignored, remember—you still have choices.

© Dr. Larry N. Gay, April 2010

http://mylead360.blogspot.com "Lessons on Leadership and Followership"