Scott D. Finder

Often over-working is a company culture issue. Some people learn it one place and carry that mindset to the next company as well. A lot of it is helping them process, take stock of how effective it is (or likely isn’t). Pointing out that quality of output matters more than volume of input, and giving “permission” to genuinely seek some balance. Waiting for your superiors to tell you it’s okay, and even create balance for you, is a poor strategy. At some point, you have to make (conscious, deliberate) choices about working smarter and in a sustainable way. Burning yourself out for the company eventually leads to poor performance. You don’t get a medal for that. However there are some enticing, false rewards that draw people to do it, often!

Analytical skills as well as the ability to read people, both matter. When you are gathering the facts of the situation, it is not typically limited to objective data in a report. We rely on other people to share information. The ability to determine someone’s confidence in what they are presenting to you is key. Any inherent bias, or agenda, as well as selectivity in choosing which data they may present to you, all can lead you down the wrong path. A problem ‘well’ defined is half solved. So it’s key to be very clear about exactly what issue you are trying to solve. Differentiate the symptoms from the underlying, true problem.

Get to what is underneath the stress. Fear and doubt of something is often key. Proper questioning to help them see where the issue is not purely external to them, can allow them to see more clearly and take some accountability for what is fact, and what is created internally by emotion (which is extremely normal). We must find ways to step back and take a broader perspective.

360 reviews with a good sample size of participants, including written, qualitative comments for the executive to read the impact of the communications can be very impactful. This on top of supportive, but honest executive coaching can help significantly for an executive who cares about their impact on others.

Important to understand what’s at stake for making the team more effective. Then understand the various perspectives of what is working, what isn’t, and why. Assess overall degree of trust between the team members. Then begin to work on breaking down the walls that prevent trust. There are numerous frameworks that can then be used. However, without focusing on trust, progress is likely to be limited.

It’s critical to listen to the employee demonstrating difficult behavior and understand both why they are acting out, but importantly what there bigger picture objectives are. If they are difficult because they feel they were passed over for a promotion in the past and you simply deal with the context of the day, you may never get anywhere. The goal is to help them see a correlation between the right behaviors, supporting your objectives as the leader, and their accomplishing their bigger goals. And carefully shining a light on bad behavior is often enough to get employees to look in the mirror and stop acting that way. Not all, but some will be embarrassed and want to stop. Showing even ‘difficult’ employees that you care, can help.