the day after the regular season ends when head coaches who have not proven themselves worthy of the role, the glory, or the money are fired. This year five head coaches whose teams had sub par performances learned their fate less than 24 hours after the last game ended.
Think about that: Within 24 hrs of sub par performance - those responsible for it are out!
Imagine the position of strength that allows for that type of bold step to be taken in such a short amount of time following sub par performance.
What might become possible for you in 2015 if , in those areas where you experienced sub par performance in 2014, you took such a confident and decisive step?
A well respected Career Consultant and friend of mine posted this advice on LinkedIn a few weeks prior to the holiday:
Rarely does a leader have a perfectly staffed and functioning team or department. As a result of that fact, decision makers sometimes hold on to the "wrong" employees until the "right" person comes along....
- Nat Caputi
He's right. I see it every day with a wide variety of client situations. And when you are mired in the emotions and complexity of the day-to-day, it can be difficult to see the uncomplicated way to move beyond this limiting way of leading.
First, answer one simple question:
What makes the employee a 'wrong' one for the job: aptitude or attitude?
If it's aptitude: you must decide if that employee's learning curve fits the timing of your business need AND if you have the resources to provide the training.
If it's attitude: you must decide if the employee's aptitude more than compensates for the disruptive attitude AND whether the attitude can be shifted with some coaching or mentoring to be less disruptive.
If it's both: you already know what needs to happen....so stop procrastinating and do your job.
Second, take bold action.
While the NFL is not generally known for leadership lessons, the concept of Black Monday may hold some merit worth exploring. This may sound harsh as you are re-engaging in work mode after the holiday break, but I encourage you to consider creating your own version of the NFL's 'Black Monday'.
Look at the areas of sub par performance in 2014: Where is there evidence of some individual or business position which has not proven worthy of the role, the glory, and/or the money?
Take a broad view at those areas to include team members, business processes, suppliers, and strategic partnerships.
Then, consider the NFL's Black Monday approach as a bold and decisive way to start the new year from a position of strength.
Rather than holding on to 'wrong', think about what becomes possible if you make room for 'right' now.
Just one more thought for the opportunist in you:
If you are reading this article and are someone with great attitude and aptitude who has made the commitment that 2015 is the year to move yourself to a team or organization that better suits you....take heed to the second part of Nat's wisdom:
...Add to that the fact that the second most welcomed inbound overture to a company is "I am very interested in XYZ and joining your team if the timing is there". First most welcomed inbound overture is "I want to buy your product and/or services". It is smart to make the introduction if you are job hunting or just looking ahead. Your overture is welcomed and your chances are good.
-Nat Caputi
