Welcome back!
Leaders it’s time to get in touch with your inner warrior and get real about solving problems. When you send the message that the environment will be healthy and productive, respect will reign. If you earned a reputation as a weakling, that perception will happily vanish. Better yet, you’ll will win back your high performers because immature people will stop pushing the boundaries and grow up. Dysfunctional people will think twice before pulling the same old nonsense. They might even get help for their issues. The good people will be dancing up and down the hall because you finally cowboyed up and addressed the problems! That radical shift in the work culture is enough to dislodge all manner of toxicity, resentment, and slumping sales or results.
Your goal in solving problems is deceptively simple: correct the behavior. If someone is being lazy, they need to work. You are not running a daycare center. You are leading a team of adults who are being paid to achieve particular outcomes. If someone is volatile, they need to stop having outbursts. Temper tantrums should never be allowed, they are not only disruptive, they are corrosive to team cohesion. If someone is acting crazy, they need to gain control of themselves. For every problem you face, at it’s core it’s a simple one to resolve. Note that I did not say easy. Simple. Don’t overcomplicate it, agonize over it, or run from it. Sometimes people just plain need to knock off their foolishness. They are capable of acting better, and they would choose to act better if only you would make them. Barring organic or cognitive issues that prevent a person from fully engaging with reality, most troublesome individuals know that their behavior is a problem. It’s caused bad results for themselves and others for a long time and it will not stop until someone bellows out ENOUGH! These people have to be held tightly accountable, otherwise they will continue on with the same dysfunctional ways of dealing with the world. Your organization, your team, your own peace of mind, and the problem child themselves deserve better than that. You wouldn’t allow a toddler throwing a temper tantrum to drive the company car or go negotiate a deal. So why are you letting emotional toddlers in adult bodies do just that?! Banish your own excuses for not correcting the situation, and demand better. Much better! Have enough respect for the problem individual to require acceptable behavior. You know they can do better, and so do they.
Until next time, I am sending power thoughts your way to find the courage to deal with the individuals you are thinking about right now!
