UTurn^TV

One of the things I always find fascinating when working with clients is their ability to imagine the worst of all possible situations.

When asked why they haven’t disciplined a particular member of staff for poor behaviour or performance the responses I often get would fill the pages of a rather fantastical novel.  ’It would make the situation much worse’, ‘They would turn the rest of the staff against me’, and ‘My life would be a living hell’ have all been quoted at me as justifications for not taking appropriate management action.

Often my job consists of breaking down some of these arguments and bringing them down to the facts.

How would it make the situation worse? If you have followed the correct procedures appropriately then it is likely that the member of staff will realise that they need to improve or there will be consequences.  If that member of staff creates ‘an atmosphere’ following a disciplinary then it is likely there will be grounds for a further disciplinary.

Why would the rest of your team turn against you for taking appropriate action? Often team members will be delighted when they see their manager taking action on something that has been a thorn in their sides too.  Many staff feel that not dealing with an under-performing member of the team makes things much worse and means that they are less likely to respect their manager.

And why would your life be a living hell? A living hell for me would be being separated from those that I love – not working in an office with a bad atmosphere.  Applying a sense of realistic perspective to any potential scenario can often take the high emotion out of imagined possibilities.

All of the above are imagined catastrophes that rarely have a basis in real fact.  However, if management is done by catastrophe prediction then it is unlikely to be effective.

Are you a catastrophiser?  The next time you find yourself saying ‘if I do that then I bet X will happen’ try talking the situation through with an impartial observer. Look for the facts of the situation in all that you plan and you will find that things will go much more smoothly.

As human beings, our ability to imagine new and different possibilities is what makes us unique creatures on the planet.  However, at work, using that imagination to create catastrophes will hold us back from making appropriate management decisions.

Go forth with the facts!

And let me know how you get on.

Jules

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Posted in: Motivation
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