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Everyday Leader
Time to Get Them Off the Bus?
Traveling around the country speaking at conventions affords me the opportunity to hear about the very real day-to-day problems people are encountering in a variety of businesses and industries. Sometimes it amazes me just how similar the problems are from state to state, from business to business, and from industry to industry.
No doubt the commonality of the complaints derives (at least in part) from the tendency of leaders to read the same books and ponder the same questions at various points in time. We consultants probably contribute when we share the currently resonating leadership themes with our clients in well intentioned efforts to help them improve performance.
Recently in my interactions with people across the country an interesting and common theme has emerged in response to my question: "What are the most pressing problems facing your business today?" It is a response that reveals an important challenge facing all leaders today.
Surprisingly, the most frequent answer is not recruiting or retaining people. It is, in fact, the exact opposite--how to get rid of the people who don't belong. Let me explain.
In the recent business best seller "Good to Great," author and researcher Jim Collins describes the process of building a great company as one that first requires getting the right people on the bus. From there Collins explains the importance of getting those people into the right seats on the bus--the seats where they can focus the majority of their energy on doing what they do well. Then, and only then, do you decide where the bus should go.
If you think about it for a moment, that is a very appealing concept: Creating an organization where the right people are engaged in doing the things they do well, thereby creating a business that leverages the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of its people to achieve a common purpose. Perhaps that is why so many of the people who share their concerns with me these days seem to be thinking about whether they have the right people on their buses.
Here's how the typical conversation goes.
In response to my question regarding the most pressing problem facing their business, people tend to respond that they are frustrated in their efforts to improve performance. They speak of the challenges of finding good people, of the need to train and coach people to achieve results, and then, invariably, of the problem they have getting performance out of people who just don't seem to fit.
And therein lays the real problem: They either have the wrong people on the bus or they have them in the wrong seats.
While on the surface this might seem to be a problem only for the individuals, its impacts are much deeper. In fact, when you speak with front line employees about performance, one of the most frequent things you hear is about the poor performers who are being tolerated within their organization. They question why these people are still on the bus, use the acceptance of a lack of performance from these people as a justification for not doing better themselves, and see the lack of action towards these people as a sign that the leaders are not really serious about improving the organization.
If you are starting to wonder if you have this problem in your organization, then chances are you do. Think about it for a moment--is there anyone in your organization who is on the wrong bus or in the wrong seat? If so, how can you help them get into the right seat or get off the bus...TODAY!!
It really is that simple, and it is best for everyone involved and for the organization. Tolerating a subpar performer brings everyone else in the organization down. Worse than that, it cripples the individual by virtually eliminating any opportunity for growth and advancement.
Here's your action plan:
1. Conduct an honest and brutal assessment of all of the people you lead with a focus on this question: If this person was not already on the bus, would they be invited to board?
2. If the answer is no, then immediately implement your strategy for getting them off the bus. Don't view it as a firing, but rather as a chance to help them find the place they belong and where they can be fulfilled. A good way to begin the conversation is to share your vision for the business and to let them know that you don't sense they share your enthusiasm for that vision. If they acknowledge that they don't, then you know they are on the wrong bus and you can help them find a place outside of the company where they will fit better. If, on the other hand, they indicate that they are enthused about where the business is headed, you can work with them to identify the place where they fit into that vision, i.e., get them into the right seat on the bus.
3. If the answer is yes, but their performance is not really where you would like it to be, then move to the question: Is this person in the right seat on the bus? In other words, are they in a position where they spend most of their time and energy doing what they do well? Often, the person you want on the bus who is not performing at the level you had hoped for is merely misaligned...their strengths are not being used in their current position and realignment will enable them to blossom.
4. Finally, for those for whom the answer is an unequivocal yes, take time to celebrate their contributions to the business by acknowledging them. These people are the ones who ensure that your organization achieves the vision and they need to know they are valued...show them the appreciation they deserve, share the opportunities to move to seats where they can be even more impactful, and let them know you need and want them on the bus!
Let's stop there for now. My intent is not to suggest that getting people off the bus is easy, it is not. But it is necessary if you are going to get real about assessing the people you are leading, and that is the only way you can help them achieve their own greatness...by getting them on the right bus and in the right seat where they can help the business take off!
*****
Everyday Leader is written by Michael Hudson, Ph.D., The Everyday Leadership Authority(tm). Comments are welcome. Archived issues can be viewed at Everyday Leader Archives
Copyright MMV by The Everyday Leadership Network. Reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "Everyday Leader," by Michael Hudson, Ph.D., The Everyday Leadership Authority(tm). Toll Free: (866) 532-3968; International: (302) 684-8727 or at www.EverydayLeader.com
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