Force won’t fix it
/A while ago, I was doing a maintenance job on my motorbike. When trying to re-fit the front axle it wouldn’t slide through without a bit of force. As the saying goes, ”If at first it doesn’t fit, get a bigger hammer.” I got one and in return I got some damaged parts. My bigger hammer made a bigger problem.
The situation came to mind when I was talking to a leader about the performance of his team. According to him, they are not bad, but the general standard of their work is a bit lackadaisical. In attempting to lift the standard, all his tactics are about more force. Some of what he told me:
He expresses anger and/or disappointment at the current standard of work (Understandable by the way, it costs him $$ when work is not on point)
He plays people off against each other
He makes thinly veiled threats about people losing their job
He demands longer work hours to make up for the perceived shortcomings
He constantly reminds people of policies and procedures
He is looking over people’s shoulders all the time
He never thanks people for anything (Why should I thank them for doing the job they are paid to do, especially if they are not doing it well? he asked)
I asked him how that approach was working for him.
“I think it’s getting worse,: he said. People don’t take responsibility and blame others/circumstances for their results. Like me with my axle bolt, I understand his frustration, but I’m not surprised.
In an environment where high results/standards are expected, but people don’t feel psychologically safe, the dominant feeling is anxiety. People will do almost anything to avoid attention and cover their butts. More force adds to the problem, making it harder and longer to fix.
Next time we’ll look at some of what he can do to reverse the current situation and build
Psychological safety as well as the performance standard.
