One of the ways by which your boss measures you, whether he’s told you or not, is how you exercise good judgment. This holds true regardless of your position within your organization. Your ability to make sound decisions based on available information, and more importantly your choice to act on the best decision, says a lot about you. Demonstrating that you can figure out a solid plan speaks well of your intellect; carrying through with it can reveal much about your character as well.
The best way to develop a good sense of judgment, in my humble opinion, is through experience. It’s easy to make plans and test them on paper, but until you find yourself in a real world scenario you can’t know 100% how everything is going to work out or even how you yourself are going to react to everything happening around you. There’s nothing wrong with being intelligent or possessing natural talent for whatever it is you’re doing, and a dose of common sense doesn’t hurt either. But there’s a reason why people respect the opinions of tested veterans, whether in the boardroom or the war room.
Good judgment is something that is not developed overnight; wisdom and understanding come from having “been there and done that.” You also need to make mistakes, and your supervisor needs to let you make them. Hopefully you can avoid negligent mistakes that get people hurt or cost a lot of money, but you and your boss both should not expect you to be perfect every time.
Your judgment is something that you can improve and hone like any habit. Start by simply thinking things through! Be aware of how others will perceive your words and actions. Don’t shy away from risk, but try really hard to figure out the potential safety, financial, or social consequences of your actions before you move on them.
I don’t know the safety and financial risks associated with your particular work environment, but I have some suggestions for mitigating social risks. When all else fails, remember these: Don’t do something in public you wouldn’t want your parents to see, don’t send a text message you wouldn’t let your significant other read; don’t say anything at work you wouldn’t say in front of your boss; in short, don’t manufacture drama in the workplace. From the stories I’ve heard, these should keep you out of most trouble!
I’ll leave you with an example of a time I personally exercised poor judgment -- and it ended up costing me my job. In the late winter of 2001, I was employed in retail and worked a night shift. Back then I was living in the mountains near Lake Tahoe and thought I would kill some time before work by going four-wheeling in the snow. With proper planning (and preferably the buddy system), you can avoid most catastrophes, but you can’t predict everything. Someone had knocked over a signpost and it was buried in the snow. When I ran over the ripped-off tip of the signpost in my Jeep, it shredded my tire.
Stupidly, I did not have the proper tools to change my tire with me. I managed to make it back to a payphone, since back then cell service was spotty in the mountains. It was several hours before I could call for help, get my tire removed and my spare put on, and get back to town. I’d missed the start of my shift by several hours, and being a no-show was a big no-no! The next day, my boss made it very clear that not showing up for work was unacceptable. One could argue that what happened wasn’t necessarily my fault, but if I’d used better judgment at any point in the situation, I could probably have avoided losing my job.
I should have realized that four-wheeling in the snow wasn’t a great idea just a few hours before work; I should have had the proper tools to remove my tire; perhaps I even should have left my Jeep overnight and gotten a ride to work from someone else so that I wouldn’t miss my shift. If I’d thought things through before taking action, I wouldn’t have had to learn that bitter lesson the hard way. On the plus side, no one was hurt, and I like to believe that I’m a little wiser for the experience and think things through more carefully now. Most of the time.
What tips do you have for developing a better sense of judgment? Ever learned a lesson the hard way and feel like sharing your new wisdom? Please feel free to contribute to the discussion in the comments section! If you’ve enjoyed spending a few minutes reading “The Boss Perspective,” subscribe and share this site with your friends, Like me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter @BossPerspective.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Thursday's thought
“Your leadership depends on you. You can only be a great leader when you can lead yourself well first.”
- Richard Norris
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Lunch break link
I often remind newer managers how important it is to take initiative and constantly seek to improve their environment, team or performance. In this article from Leading with Trust shared on LinkedIn by one of my mentors, the author poses an odd but accurate question using Thermometers and Thermostats as metaphors for leadership:
“Thermostat leaders, however, constantly have a pulse on the morale, productivity, stress level, and environmental conditions of their team. When the temperature gets hot because the team is under pressure of a heavy workload, resources are scarce, or pending deadlines are causing stress, they cool things off by acting as the calming influence with the team. They take time to listen to the concerns of their team members and provide the necessary direction and support that’s needed to help the team achieve its goals. Thermostat leaders also alleviate pressure on their team by mixing in some lighthearted fun at opportune times.”
He goes on to explain what’s basically the difference between being proactive or reactive with respect to influence on your team. Are you setting the tone and driving the climate in your department or organization? Or are you just reflecting the current atmosphere?
He goes on to explain what’s basically the difference between being proactive or reactive with respect to influence on your team. Are you setting the tone and driving the climate in your department or organization? Or are you just reflecting the current atmosphere?
Please feel free to contribute to the discussion in the comments section! If you’ve enjoyed spending a few minutes reading “The Boss Perspective,” subscribe and share this site with your friends, Like me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter @BossPerspective.
Friday, June 21, 2013
A reader with a difficult employee
This week I've got another real-world topic to discuss that’s not pulled directly from my own experience. One of my readers (I’ll call him Kevin) has asked for some suggestions for handling an employee he supervises. To give a little bit of background, Kevin is somewhat new to the management group in his organization, although it isn't the first leadership position he’s held. He’s been with his current company for a while now and had a chance to show off his technical expertise and organizational skills.
After demonstrating an ability to positively influence the performance of other employees, his role has evolved to include directing their activities. One of those employees has been frustrating him, though. Kevin writes that one of the junior employees in his department, who I’ll refer to as John, has a tendency to get extremely defensive in the face of perceived criticism from Kevin and other managers, even when it’s in the form of constructive feedback.
Kevin will observe John doing something he knows is not the best use of time or most effective way to perform, a task and John doesn't respond well. He insists with alarm that he didn't know any better, and will point to other employees as having dropped the ball or taught him how to do things incorrectly. John also sometimes continues to insist that what he’s currently working on is more important than other tasks that may be asked of him, regardless of whether the other task may be a higher priority.
From what I can see, it sounds like there are two main issues here. One of these is a little bit less complicated, and that is that John might be having difficulty setting priorities. Granted, we could probably all use better decision-making abilities, and I’ll be touching on that in a future article. While we can’t force an individual to develop good habits as far as prioritizing, we can teach them some basic techniques. If you’re not a regular reader, you might not know that I’m a fan of the easiest way of choosing priorities - is it important or not, is it urgent or not - and that method is easy to explain to an employee.
Where this breaks down is at the organizational level. Perhaps John doesn't understand which clients’ projects are the most important to address, or how the hierarchy of his supervisors can help determine whose instructions to follow. It may also be true that John doesn't have visibility on project timelines, and may not know that an email from a smaller client requires a response today while the request from the bigger client can wait until Monday. He may benefit from an explanation of not just how to set priorities, but who and what are important and urgent in his specific department and company.
The second issue is a little bit touchier to address; John does not take feedback well, and he’s about to get feedback on his own personality. Further, he needs to take ownership of his actions and decisions, and not place blame on other employees. These issues are not only relevant now, but may continue to be relevant if John doesn't improve after receiving feedback. Kevin tells me he’s already spoken with John about it, explaining how how his behavior is what’s affecting his interactions with others and distracting from doing his job.
That first meeting went well because Kevin kept it professional and not personal. For a while, John improved and was able to take direction without becoming defensive. After some time passed, however, he reverted to his old ways and once again began to deflect blame and refuse to accept responsibility for his performance. At this point, Kevin needs to keep his message consistent and remind John that he’s lapsing. Kevin and John work for an organization that values professional behavior, and it would help Kevin to explain to John that his behavior doesn't meet the criteria for that.
Kevin should make sure that he has clearly communicated his expectations for John the first time, and again in this next conversation. He will also need to validate that John understands those expectations. This will help ensure that John stops blaming others when Kevin provides constructive feedback. He can no longer say that a job that didn't get done was someone else’s responsibility, or that he didn't understand his duties.
John’s behavior and performance improved for a while, and to keep him from getting down when receiving criticism, Kevin should acknowledge and praise that improvement. If he continues to become defensive and ignore feedback or deflect blame, however, Kevin may eventually need to use a stricter form of performance management. If it comes to that, the same rules apply. Kevin needs to explain clearly and objectively how John’s attitude is negatively impacting his performance, and why any disciplinary measures may be taken at that time.
It’s worth Kevin’s time to try and help John change, and not just because of the good it will do for John. It will not only be less stressful for Kevin to interact with him, but also he may find that his employee is better able to do his job when he’s more focused on the task at hand than the criticism he may receive.
Do you have someone on your team who doesn't respond well to feedback or criticism from their boss? Please feel free to contribute to the discussion in the comments section! If you've enjoyed spending a few minutes reading “The Boss Perspective,” subscribe and share this site with your friends, Like me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter @BossPerspective.
After demonstrating an ability to positively influence the performance of other employees, his role has evolved to include directing their activities. One of those employees has been frustrating him, though. Kevin writes that one of the junior employees in his department, who I’ll refer to as John, has a tendency to get extremely defensive in the face of perceived criticism from Kevin and other managers, even when it’s in the form of constructive feedback.
Kevin will observe John doing something he knows is not the best use of time or most effective way to perform, a task and John doesn't respond well. He insists with alarm that he didn't know any better, and will point to other employees as having dropped the ball or taught him how to do things incorrectly. John also sometimes continues to insist that what he’s currently working on is more important than other tasks that may be asked of him, regardless of whether the other task may be a higher priority.
From what I can see, it sounds like there are two main issues here. One of these is a little bit less complicated, and that is that John might be having difficulty setting priorities. Granted, we could probably all use better decision-making abilities, and I’ll be touching on that in a future article. While we can’t force an individual to develop good habits as far as prioritizing, we can teach them some basic techniques. If you’re not a regular reader, you might not know that I’m a fan of the easiest way of choosing priorities - is it important or not, is it urgent or not - and that method is easy to explain to an employee.
Where this breaks down is at the organizational level. Perhaps John doesn't understand which clients’ projects are the most important to address, or how the hierarchy of his supervisors can help determine whose instructions to follow. It may also be true that John doesn't have visibility on project timelines, and may not know that an email from a smaller client requires a response today while the request from the bigger client can wait until Monday. He may benefit from an explanation of not just how to set priorities, but who and what are important and urgent in his specific department and company.
The second issue is a little bit touchier to address; John does not take feedback well, and he’s about to get feedback on his own personality. Further, he needs to take ownership of his actions and decisions, and not place blame on other employees. These issues are not only relevant now, but may continue to be relevant if John doesn't improve after receiving feedback. Kevin tells me he’s already spoken with John about it, explaining how how his behavior is what’s affecting his interactions with others and distracting from doing his job.
That first meeting went well because Kevin kept it professional and not personal. For a while, John improved and was able to take direction without becoming defensive. After some time passed, however, he reverted to his old ways and once again began to deflect blame and refuse to accept responsibility for his performance. At this point, Kevin needs to keep his message consistent and remind John that he’s lapsing. Kevin and John work for an organization that values professional behavior, and it would help Kevin to explain to John that his behavior doesn't meet the criteria for that.
Kevin should make sure that he has clearly communicated his expectations for John the first time, and again in this next conversation. He will also need to validate that John understands those expectations. This will help ensure that John stops blaming others when Kevin provides constructive feedback. He can no longer say that a job that didn't get done was someone else’s responsibility, or that he didn't understand his duties.
John’s behavior and performance improved for a while, and to keep him from getting down when receiving criticism, Kevin should acknowledge and praise that improvement. If he continues to become defensive and ignore feedback or deflect blame, however, Kevin may eventually need to use a stricter form of performance management. If it comes to that, the same rules apply. Kevin needs to explain clearly and objectively how John’s attitude is negatively impacting his performance, and why any disciplinary measures may be taken at that time.
It’s worth Kevin’s time to try and help John change, and not just because of the good it will do for John. It will not only be less stressful for Kevin to interact with him, but also he may find that his employee is better able to do his job when he’s more focused on the task at hand than the criticism he may receive.
Do you have someone on your team who doesn't respond well to feedback or criticism from their boss? Please feel free to contribute to the discussion in the comments section! If you've enjoyed spending a few minutes reading “The Boss Perspective,” subscribe and share this site with your friends, Like me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter @BossPerspective.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Thursday's thought
“Don't ever get comfortable when you have the ability to achieve more.” -Kishon Prince
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Lunch break link
I frequently make mention of outstanding examples of leadership that I encounter, and being sort of a list junkie I’m going to share with you an article from LinkedIn that I ran across this past weekend called “The Essential Hallmarks of a Good Leader.”
As you can probably imagine, the author goes into a description of traits which he’s learned to look for in himself and others throughout his successful career. No list of traits or principles can ever exhaustively define what makes a good leader, of course, but I really enjoyed this one. In addition to sharing some of the values of an effective leader, he also takes a moment at the beginning of the article to explain the importance of good leaders in business. I may be a little biased, perhaps:
“At many of the best companies throughout history, the constant creation of good leaders is what has enabled the organizations to stand the true test of greatness – the test of time. Look at our great military. We love hiring veterans – more than 5,000 in the past couple years. These veterans are outstanding employees and team members.”
The author, CEO Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan Chase, also shares a few final thoughts on what he calls the grey area of leadership, which come across as common sense but perhaps aren’t always first on your mind when looking to fill a management or leadership role. Even if you aren’t expecting to interview for CEO anytime soon, I highly recommend you take a few minutes to go read his article.
Please feel free to contribute to the discussion in the comments section! If you’ve enjoyed spending a few minutes reading “The Boss Perspective,” subscribe and share this site with your friends, Like me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter @BossPerspective.
As you can probably imagine, the author goes into a description of traits which he’s learned to look for in himself and others throughout his successful career. No list of traits or principles can ever exhaustively define what makes a good leader, of course, but I really enjoyed this one. In addition to sharing some of the values of an effective leader, he also takes a moment at the beginning of the article to explain the importance of good leaders in business. I may be a little biased, perhaps:
“At many of the best companies throughout history, the constant creation of good leaders is what has enabled the organizations to stand the true test of greatness – the test of time. Look at our great military. We love hiring veterans – more than 5,000 in the past couple years. These veterans are outstanding employees and team members.”
The author, CEO Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan Chase, also shares a few final thoughts on what he calls the grey area of leadership, which come across as common sense but perhaps aren’t always first on your mind when looking to fill a management or leadership role. Even if you aren’t expecting to interview for CEO anytime soon, I highly recommend you take a few minutes to go read his article.
Please feel free to contribute to the discussion in the comments section! If you’ve enjoyed spending a few minutes reading “The Boss Perspective,” subscribe and share this site with your friends, Like me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter @BossPerspective.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Justice
I consider myself extremely fortunate that I grew up in a country whose people have a strong sense of justice. There exists in our government, in our schools, in our professional sports, and in most workplaces, a system by which people are treated more or less consistently. This is not an absolute, of course, and there will be people in your life who will be subjective or display favoritism to the detriment of their team. This value is strong enough in our society, however, that many of us grow up not only expecting to benefit from just treatment but also, when in a position of authority, to be just in our treatment of others.
A sense of justice is one of the more subtle leadership traits that the Marine Corps taught me. When I think of great leaders in history or even simply great bosses I’ve had, it’s not the first thing that comes to mind if I were to describe those individuals. And yet, it’s one of the traits that those being led may appreciate and respect most when all is said and done. In particular, when times are tough and no one is really feeling great about the mission in front of them, it’s crucial to assign work or administer discipline or rewards in the most fair manner possible. This applies in the military and in civilian workplaces.
Sometimes things are just going to suck and no one particular decision is going to seem fair. In situations I’ve encountered like this in the past, I’ve always tried to take the “least unfair” route. In one management role, I found myself writing annual performance appraisals for employees who I hadn’t personally supervised during the review period. I had to go with the input of their assistant managers and my colleagues who had interacted with the employees, in addition to any formal recognition or counseling performed by my predecessor.
It was true that it wasn’t extremely fair to any one employee that I was the one who would be writing their reviews. There was no one else who could have done it, though. So I came up with the most unbiased system that I could. While most of the employees didn’t like it, I was able to communicate to them why it was our best option, how justice was still being done. No one disputed their review scores that year.
I’m human, but I sincerely try to take personal preference and relationships out of merit decisions in the workplace. I’ve promoted the most qualified individual from amongst their peers, despite it being an unpopular or awkward decision. I’ve also been in a position where I had to select which employees got their work hours cut to save on payroll -- at more than one company now. I don’t pick the employees I like to stay, and the ones who frustrate me to go home. I keep the top performers based on their performance alone, and make the tough call to furlough the ones who aren’t necessarily as productive or as effective.
I’ve been on the receiving end of justice in the past, of course. This has benefitted me at times and left me holding the short end of the stick in others. In the fall of 2002 I had an opportunity to attend additional technical training and obtain a secondary MOS, or Military Occupational Specialty. There were many more senior Marines in my unit who wanted to go, and several of them were better known to our commanding officer. I had demonstrated a passion for this additional skill in the past, and in addition to pursuing it as a personal hobby I’d also taken time on the weekends to train other Marines in my unit in the same skill set and share my knowledge of the subject. So when it came time to send a couple of representatives to training, it made sense that I was one of them.
I’ve also been denied additional training for just reasons in the past, and I didn’t hold a grudge about it. In 2007 when I was an assistant manager in a retail environment, I wanted to attend a two week leadership development course my organization was putting on at our corporate office. I was ambitious and performing well in my duties, and desperately wanted to go. We could only send so many people from our district, unfortunately, so another assistant manager who was closer to being ready to become a store manager got to go instead. Because my boss was able to explain to me the reasoning behind the decision, I was okay with it. Eventually I was able to attend two quarters later.
The Marines taught me a lot, and they’re a tough organization that isn’t for everyone. At the end of the day, though, the finest fighting force in the world is absolutely a meritocracy where the best of the best are rewarded and recognized. The same should be true of your leadership and management style regardless of where you work... but don’t feel obligated to be quite as gung-ho about it.
Have you ever communicated the results of a justly-made decision and found it received better than you expected? Please feel free to contribute to the discussion in the comments section! If you’ve enjoyed spending a few minutes reading “The Boss Perspective,” subscribe and share this site with your friends, Like me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter @BossPerspective.
A sense of justice is one of the more subtle leadership traits that the Marine Corps taught me. When I think of great leaders in history or even simply great bosses I’ve had, it’s not the first thing that comes to mind if I were to describe those individuals. And yet, it’s one of the traits that those being led may appreciate and respect most when all is said and done. In particular, when times are tough and no one is really feeling great about the mission in front of them, it’s crucial to assign work or administer discipline or rewards in the most fair manner possible. This applies in the military and in civilian workplaces.
Sometimes things are just going to suck and no one particular decision is going to seem fair. In situations I’ve encountered like this in the past, I’ve always tried to take the “least unfair” route. In one management role, I found myself writing annual performance appraisals for employees who I hadn’t personally supervised during the review period. I had to go with the input of their assistant managers and my colleagues who had interacted with the employees, in addition to any formal recognition or counseling performed by my predecessor.
It was true that it wasn’t extremely fair to any one employee that I was the one who would be writing their reviews. There was no one else who could have done it, though. So I came up with the most unbiased system that I could. While most of the employees didn’t like it, I was able to communicate to them why it was our best option, how justice was still being done. No one disputed their review scores that year.
I’m human, but I sincerely try to take personal preference and relationships out of merit decisions in the workplace. I’ve promoted the most qualified individual from amongst their peers, despite it being an unpopular or awkward decision. I’ve also been in a position where I had to select which employees got their work hours cut to save on payroll -- at more than one company now. I don’t pick the employees I like to stay, and the ones who frustrate me to go home. I keep the top performers based on their performance alone, and make the tough call to furlough the ones who aren’t necessarily as productive or as effective.
I’ve been on the receiving end of justice in the past, of course. This has benefitted me at times and left me holding the short end of the stick in others. In the fall of 2002 I had an opportunity to attend additional technical training and obtain a secondary MOS, or Military Occupational Specialty. There were many more senior Marines in my unit who wanted to go, and several of them were better known to our commanding officer. I had demonstrated a passion for this additional skill in the past, and in addition to pursuing it as a personal hobby I’d also taken time on the weekends to train other Marines in my unit in the same skill set and share my knowledge of the subject. So when it came time to send a couple of representatives to training, it made sense that I was one of them.
I’ve also been denied additional training for just reasons in the past, and I didn’t hold a grudge about it. In 2007 when I was an assistant manager in a retail environment, I wanted to attend a two week leadership development course my organization was putting on at our corporate office. I was ambitious and performing well in my duties, and desperately wanted to go. We could only send so many people from our district, unfortunately, so another assistant manager who was closer to being ready to become a store manager got to go instead. Because my boss was able to explain to me the reasoning behind the decision, I was okay with it. Eventually I was able to attend two quarters later.
The Marines taught me a lot, and they’re a tough organization that isn’t for everyone. At the end of the day, though, the finest fighting force in the world is absolutely a meritocracy where the best of the best are rewarded and recognized. The same should be true of your leadership and management style regardless of where you work... but don’t feel obligated to be quite as gung-ho about it.
Have you ever communicated the results of a justly-made decision and found it received better than you expected? Please feel free to contribute to the discussion in the comments section! If you’ve enjoyed spending a few minutes reading “The Boss Perspective,” subscribe and share this site with your friends, Like me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter @BossPerspective.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Thursday's thought
"Leadership is working with goals and vision; management is working with objectives." - Russel Honore
Friday, June 7, 2013
Doing the hard things
You’ve been working hard and smart, putting in long hours and making the right calls. You’re doing whatever it takes to get the job done, and don’t think upper management hasn’t noticed! Sooner or later though, the day is going to come your when your job requires you to do something with which you are not entirely comfortable. I'm not talking about cleaning the bathrooms, and I'm not talking about making your first major sales pitch.
Unless you’re extremely lucky, there’s a big possibility that at some point in your career you’ll be expected to carry out orders you may not be happy about. You may not always see eye to eye with your boss, or buy into your company's new strategy, but you DO have to do your job. Assuming that you’re otherwise a good fit for your position, what do you do when directed to carry out activities that make you uncomfortable?
It depends a lot on what exactly you’re doing. If you’re in a position to impact the job security of other people, this can weigh heavily on your heart. It might be that you have new standards for productivity that you have to roll out and don’t feel your team can live up to. Possibly you’re in charge of conducting SOP audits on your former peers and you know that your findings will hinder your colleague’s career progress. Maybe you’re in the unfortunate position of letting someone go based on their performance and you don’t agree with the standards you’ve been given for rating them.
Good leaders are usually open to feedback on their processes and decisions and you may have a say in whether or not this uncomfortable mission goes forward. It’s just good stewardship of the organization to only roll out processes that make sense, standards that aren't arbitrary or unreasonable, and rate employee performance on the fairest possible system. Hopefully if you’re a manager you’re doing what’s best for your company; hopefully if your manager is the one requiring you to execute on something you don’t agree with, he or she is willing and able to explain the reasoning behind it. Even after you understand where your expectations are derived from, however, you may still not feel good about imposing those expectations on your own team. And after pushing back, you may still be expected to move forward with your duties.
Exercising sound management principles is important. Even more important, however, is doing what you feel is right. When all is said and done, you alone are the judge of what will sit well with you. If you're not able to reconcile your duties with your values and absolutely cannot go through with this task, what are you going to do about it? Are you in a position to effect a change, and instill your own values on this process? If not, are you willing to suffer the consequences of being held accountable for your inaction?
Are you willing to look for a different role or position, or even a new job, where you don’t have to be put in this position? Again, you are the person best suited to answer those questions. Please understand that I’m not advocating for running away from tough choices, but sometimes recognizing that your current role is not the best fit for you is better not just for your organization, but yourself.
Have you ever found yourself struggling to get on board with a tough decision? Please feel free to contribute to the discussion in the comments section! If you’ve enjoyed spending a few minutes reading “The Boss Perspective,” subscribe and share this site with your friends, Like me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter @BossPerspective.
Unless you’re extremely lucky, there’s a big possibility that at some point in your career you’ll be expected to carry out orders you may not be happy about. You may not always see eye to eye with your boss, or buy into your company's new strategy, but you DO have to do your job. Assuming that you’re otherwise a good fit for your position, what do you do when directed to carry out activities that make you uncomfortable?
It depends a lot on what exactly you’re doing. If you’re in a position to impact the job security of other people, this can weigh heavily on your heart. It might be that you have new standards for productivity that you have to roll out and don’t feel your team can live up to. Possibly you’re in charge of conducting SOP audits on your former peers and you know that your findings will hinder your colleague’s career progress. Maybe you’re in the unfortunate position of letting someone go based on their performance and you don’t agree with the standards you’ve been given for rating them.
Good leaders are usually open to feedback on their processes and decisions and you may have a say in whether or not this uncomfortable mission goes forward. It’s just good stewardship of the organization to only roll out processes that make sense, standards that aren't arbitrary or unreasonable, and rate employee performance on the fairest possible system. Hopefully if you’re a manager you’re doing what’s best for your company; hopefully if your manager is the one requiring you to execute on something you don’t agree with, he or she is willing and able to explain the reasoning behind it. Even after you understand where your expectations are derived from, however, you may still not feel good about imposing those expectations on your own team. And after pushing back, you may still be expected to move forward with your duties.
Exercising sound management principles is important. Even more important, however, is doing what you feel is right. When all is said and done, you alone are the judge of what will sit well with you. If you're not able to reconcile your duties with your values and absolutely cannot go through with this task, what are you going to do about it? Are you in a position to effect a change, and instill your own values on this process? If not, are you willing to suffer the consequences of being held accountable for your inaction?
Are you willing to look for a different role or position, or even a new job, where you don’t have to be put in this position? Again, you are the person best suited to answer those questions. Please understand that I’m not advocating for running away from tough choices, but sometimes recognizing that your current role is not the best fit for you is better not just for your organization, but yourself.
Have you ever found yourself struggling to get on board with a tough decision? Please feel free to contribute to the discussion in the comments section! If you’ve enjoyed spending a few minutes reading “The Boss Perspective,” subscribe and share this site with your friends, Like me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter @BossPerspective.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
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