People Problems

“If it weren’t for my people, this job would be fun,” a frustrated business owner said to me.  Perhaps at times you, too, have felt this way.  You train your employees, you rely on them, you encourage them, you pay them, and, yet, the inevitable ‘people problems’ surface.

Avoidance is not an approved leadership tool:

For people-issues avoidance is not an approved leadership tool.  Albeit, avoidance is the easy way, figuratively turning your back to the employee and the corrosive effects of their behavior and wishing the problem away.  Unfortunately, I have rarely seen a spontaneous recovery from a persistent people problem.  Problems simply do not go away especially when left alone; to the contrary, problems fester and grow without intervention.  Additionally, many other employees likely notice the problem and your reluctance/hesitation to deal with it, an unfortunate unintended consequence.

The employee’s problem now becomes associated with you and your inability to address it.  The monkey is now on your back and the harm is to you and the perception of your leadership, or lack thereof. 

Three People Choices:

When it comes to people problems you have three choices – change it, end it, or accept it.  If you choose the path of seeming least resistance, accepting the problem, you are avoiding the problem and its ramifications.  Simply put, you lose and the employee/behavior/problem wins.  Everyone sees it and you are thusly labelled and, in a insidious fashion, are training the other employees that unacceptable behavior is acceptable, with no consequences.

Not a palatable route?  You are then left with two choices – change it or end it.  Ending it is relatively simple (depending of course on any applicable employment laws, etc. and your compliance accordingly), allow the employee to find employment elsewhere.  Terminate the employment. “Rip off” the proverbial band-aid.  “Ouch,” but only short-term pain. When I’ve seen this happen, it is usually accompanied with “what took you so long” comments from other employees.  

If you choose not to accept it nor to end it, and assuming the employee has other characteristics, skills, and values that you appreciate and want, you must work with the employee to change the behavior or situation.  Addressing the problem is left to you and your intervention with the employee through coaching, reviews, and development plans.   Discuss the gap(s) between expectations and performance and reset expectations, set goals, accountabilities, and follow-up on a regular basis.

Would increasing your people-time be a bad investment?

In 1973 my mentor said,” Regardless of what the client (or prospect) said, it is always a people-problem.” It still holds true today – people own or run all the systems of an organization. People make everything work, or not.  As a leader, wouldn’t spending more time with your people be a good investment?  Everyone likes to feel connected; weekly, take an employee to lunch (and don’t just talk about business).  Every likes feedback; do quarterly reviews focusing on accentuating the good.

My thinking, as a leadership coach, is that additional time spent with your employees is a good thing – in investment in your organization’s future.  Your people make it ALL happen.