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An Autopsy Reveals the Ugly Truth
When Type A top performer collateral damage explodes in our faces, it is shocking and confusing.
In bewilderment, we scratch our heads and ask:
“What just happened?!”
An autopsy of the tragedy usually reveals the ugly truth.
The warning signs were present long before the train wreck.
It turns out that careers and companies could have been saved if someone had seen the writing on the wall.
Now the million dollar question becomes…
Why didn’t someone see the writing on the wall?
Here’s the deal.
Top performer collateral damage is like cancer. In the early stages, it’s small and easy to overlook, explain away or tolerate. In the later stages, it’s a monster too big to miss.
I can’t emphasize this enough.
When it comes to collateral damage created by Type A top performers, the earlier you find it, the greater the likelihood of a positive outcome.
Turn a blind eye and you’re begging for trouble.
Unfortunately, many leaders fail to diagnosis collateral damage in its early stages.
Instead, they find themselves picking up the pieces after a Type A train wreck that could have been avoided.
All because they didn’t see the early warning signs….
What warning signs are you missing?
Top Performer Collateral Damage
What kinds of collateral damage are your Type A top performers creating?
As we say good-by to 2009 and hello to 2010, it’s a great time for a collateral damage check-up before you find yourself cleaning up a screw up.
To prevent collateral damage, you must first understand what it is.
Collateral damage is the undesirable consequences arising from a top performer’s actions, decisions or attitudes.
You’ve seen it happen countless times.
The perfectionist boss makes unrealistic demands which create employee unhappiness and staff turnover.
The overly competitive executive takes credit for other people’s ideas which leads to distrust and team dysfunction.
A project leader bulldozes over dissenting opinions and shuts down critical communication.
The stoic manager takes on more than he can realistically handle and makes a costly error.
The over eager junior associate jumps the gun and politically embarrasses the company.
These are just a few examples of the many forms top performer collateral damage can take.
Who in your organization is causing collateral damage? Is it you?
The Two Sides of No
“No.”
It’s one word capable of turning a top gun Type A talent into a superstar or a flopperoo.
During this ‘Yes’ time of year – with the plethora of holiday parties, gift buying, New Year’s Resolutions, corporate budget cycles, year end bonuses and 2010 strategic action planning – the word ‘no’ becomes even more important and more difficult to deal with.
Let’s drill down.
There are two sides to ‘no’. Saying it and hearing it.
Knowing when and how to say ‘no’ are critical to sustaining a trajectory of Type A success.
If you say ‘yes’ when you should say ‘no’, you’ll be spread too thin to do your best or you’ll be pulled off course and away from your areas of strength and expertise.
It’s critical that you have the courage, savvy and skill to say ‘no’ even if that means telling your boss ‘no’. (Yes, it’s an art to tell your boss ‘no’ without digging yourself into a dead end hole AND… it can be done.)
If you have trouble saying ‘no’, here are some tips to help you make the best decision:
Ask for some time to thoughtfully consider the request before responding. Buy some time to practice the ‘no’.
Consider the cost of saying ‘yes’. Realize that when you say “yes” to one thing you are also saying “no” to something else. Examine the trade-offs and choose what best serves your most important priorities.
Be prepared to negotiate your existing commitments. In order to make room for one more ‘yes’ on your crowded plate, you’ll need to re-arrange and renegotiate existing expectations. Are you willing and able to renegotiate? If not, a ‘no’ may be your smartest answer.
Let’s take a look at the other side of ‘no’ – hearing it.
Hearing ‘no’ can be even more difficult for a Type A than saying ‘no’. When someone tells you “no”, resist the urge to take it personally or bully them into a “yes”.
Instead, stay objective and explore the thoughts behind the “no”.
What is the ‘yes’ behind the ‘no’? The person could be doing you a huge favor.
Use the ‘no’ as a springboard to an even better solution. What else do you need to consider?
Transform ‘no’ into a catalyst that inspires you to go the extra mile to earn the ‘yes’. Conjure up images of Michael Jordan being cut from his high school basketball team. Or Nelson Mandela sitting in prison for 30 years.
To stay on track, you must say and hear “no” as easily as “yes”.
Poor little ‘No’ gets a bum rap. Give it a try. You just might like it.
Breaking Open Door Leadership Addiction
Open door leadership is a sacred cow that needs to be put out to pasture. Like 8-track players, it’s time has come and gone.
Think about it.
The notion of “being an open door leader” was conceived of and promoted as a means of increasing leader accessibility and communication in an age of 8-hour work days and 5 day work weeks.
It was born in a day when companies were hierarchical fiefdoms dominated by a command and control mentality. Communication was a one-way, top-down activity. Gaining access to a leader was a little like getting an audience with the Pope.
Those days are gone.
Organizations are flat. Cell phones are buzzing. Emails are flying. Gen-Y is demanding constant feedback. And leaders’ doors are wide-open… if the doors exist at all.
Let’s tell the truth.
Instead of being isolated power brokers in ivory towers, today’s leaders are more like frenzied clerks at a 24-hour convenience store.
“Come on in. We never close.”
When an open door philosophy goes to the dark side, it becomes an addiction. People expect instant access and immediate gratification. It fosters a ‘drop whatever you are doing and pay attention to me now’ mentality. That’s like putting a noose around the neck of productivity.
The dark side of open door leadership is seductive and sinister. It sneaks up on you preying upon your desire to be helpful and responsive.
“Got a minute? I’d like to run something by you.”
Remember – an open door is really just a metaphor for having an open mind and being reasonably available. It doesn’t mean you can’t shut your door and get some work done.
If your door is open and your jaw is clenched, it’s time to wake up. Your open door philosophy has gone to the dark side. It’s holding you and your team hostage.
It’s OK – even desirable – to close the damn door and get some work done.
And here’s the good news. Your entire team will thank you.
It’s time to break the open door addiction.
Here’s how you do it.
Seven Steps to Establish Sacred Office Hours
1. Tell everyone in advance what you are doing and why so that they don’t jump to the wrong conclusions. You are still committed to an open door mindset but with some structure.
2. Request that your co-workers respect your sacred office hours. Tell them you must not be interrupted unless there is an emergency. Then – since we each have a different definition of what constitutes an emergency – tell them what you consider to be an emergency – the office is on fire, your most important client is throwing a fit, the Chairman of the Board is calling you, the toilet is overflowing.
3. Post a humorous reminder outside of your office or cubicle to gently remind people not to interrupt you during sacred office hours. Humor always greases the wheels of change. Have some fun coming up with your own funny version of “do not disturb”.
4. Expect to be interrupted in the beginning. Change takes time. You are teaching your colleagues and yourself new habits. Be patient and be consistent. Stick to your boundaries. Refuse to put up with interruptions. Don’t get sucked into the “It’ll only take a minute.” Gently, kindly and patiently ask the interrupting person to come back when your sacred office hours are over.
5. If someone insists on interrupting you with something that is not an emergency, nicely remind her that you are busy and can’t be interrupted. Offer a time to meet when your office hours are over. You might say something like this…”Nancy, your situation deserves my undivided attention. Right now, I’m busy with something that can’t be interrupted. I really appreciate your understanding. I’d be delighted to discuss this with you after 3:00 p.m. What time would work for you?”
6. Once you’ve established your sacred office hours, stick to them. Refuse to put up with interruptions. It will take a while for everyone to get used to your new routine.
7. Remember you are a role model for your entire team. Closing your door is about making it OK to focus and be productive. By being a role model, you are teaching your entire team how to close the door and still be accessible.
Take off the noose around your neck. Be a leader…not a convenience store clerk.
The Dark Side of Open Door Leadership
“If I want to get my work done, I’ve got to hide in the ladies’ room with my laptop!”
The elegantly coiffed executive sagged in her designer suit, a strand of pearls wrapped around her neck like a choke chain.
“All day long, it’s a steady stream of people popping into my office with problems and questions. I can’t get my own work done until everyone else goes home. Problem is… I end up working until 8:00 p.m. By the time I get home, I’m exhausted and my husband is disgusted.”
She took a deep breath and sighed. Her despair hung heavy in the air.
“I pride myself on being an open door leader. I want my staff to know that I care and that I’m here when they have a problem or question. But I’m desperate to get some work done! I’m embarrassed to admit that if I want to get my work done, I’ve got to hide in the ladies room with my laptop!”
Is your productivity and peace of mind being strangled by open door leadership?
And before you write this off as just some touchy-feely woman thing, let me assure you, there as just as many Type A men as women struggling with how to be accessible and approachable ‘open door’ leaders while also getting their own work done.
Type A’s are particularly susceptible to Open Doorism Syndrome. Why? We embrace this valuable ‘open door’ ideal with our typical Type A ‘whatever it takes’ gusto.
Here’s the deal.
An overdone open door policy destroys productivity.
In the desire to be open door leaders, too many Type A’s have forgotten that doors have hinges. When people pop in and out of your office any time they feel like it, you can’t get your work done effectively or efficiently. The end result? Your frustration soars, your productivity plummets and Crankenstein appears.
But the dark side of open doors doesn’t stop there.
An open door policy without clear boundaries is like crystal meth. It’s addictive and destructive.
An overdone open door policy makes your team floppy and sloppy. It undermines critical thinking, fosters disrespect and submarines individual accountability.
If your door is open and your jaw is clenched, it’s time to wake up. Your open door philosophy has gone to the dark side.
It’s OK – even desirable – for you to close the damn door and get some work done.
And here’s the good news. Your entire team will thank you for closing your door.
Afraid you might be labeled unapproachable, uncaring, disinterested? Get over it. You can still be an ‘open door’ leader with your office door shut.
Not sure how to break the open door addiction? Relax.
In my next blog post, I’ll show you how step-by-step.
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It’s time to wake up and smell the truth. Like gas guzzling relics, traditional Type A’s are becoming passé. In the good ole’ days, with their steely-eyed focus and turbo-charged tactics, Type A’s could dominate the game by slicing, dicing and sacrificing. That pricey party is over. Award-winning executive coach Kay Cannon offers a funny insider’s look into the secret world of top performing Type A individuals and redefines how these talented and smart superstars can get great results without collateral damage.