Doug Cartland's Four-Minute Leadership Advisory
Dear Annie Reprise            
by Doug Cartland
Doug Cartland, Inc.
08/12/2014

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Lots of responses to last week's Advisory about the letter written to "Dear Annie" that complained of uneven standards in the workplace. That the good workers get tired of carrying the load for the bad and too often the bad are not held accountable.

 

Many were curious to see the responses. Can't run them all, or the full length of any, but here's a smattering (though I've left names off for the sake of anonymity)...

 

There was some blunt honesty and rationalization:

 

"I, personally, give the 'team player and don't be negative talk'" wrote one. "It doesn't set well although the good employees continue to follow the rules and carry their weight. (Albeit I do see their stress levels rise when the 'bad' employee is chronically late, sick, disengaged, etc.) I just brush off the bad behavior and pretend that all is well. Yes, I am a terrible boss in this area and I know it."

 

Said another, "I am a supervisor of...union employees (in a municipal setting)...After years of trying to hold non productive employees accountable I had to resolve or rationalize this by saying to myself these unproductive employees would be on welfare or another form of free money any way so getting a little out of them is better than nothing. I spend my time focusing on my productive employees. My apology."

 

I was stating the obvious when I wrote him back and told him that turning a blind eye will not make the irritation go away.

 

"You are correct that ignoring them is not the answer," he responded. And then he sent me an article about bees and wrote, "If you read a little of the article you will discover some of the worker bees work hard and some are a little lazy.  They are just saving themselves for later.  I continue my rationalization."

 

Sigh.

 

Some empathized with the poor employee.

 

"I understand this frustrated worker," wrote one. "However this worker does not necessarily have all the facts and I believe should not judge those without all of the information."

 

Another seemed to agree. He sent the Advisory to his team with his comments attached. He ended with this:

 

"Lastly, I don't spend much time worrying and thinking about other's actions.  Maybe (definitely) as a leader that is a shortcoming.  I'm doing the best I can and just hope others are too.  I don't know what their day is like, or what their family issues are, financial problems, how they grew up, and all that stuff that makes a person do what they do.  I do think we all have positives and negatives, and I tend to like to stay on the positive side."    

 

Several recognized in this letter an accurate description of the culture where they work and took the opportunity to vent about it to me. No problem there.

 

One waxed nostalgic: "Unfortunately this is the world we live in. Back in the late 1970's early 1980's when I began working to help pay for college, if I did not work hard and carry my weight my boss would chew my butt and my coworkers would speak their mind. If I complained to my parents they would be on the side of my boss and would be mad that I was not working hard. What changed?????"

 

One of the best responses I received was from a CEO who used this Advisory to jumpstart an open and constructive discussion with his leadership team about the topic.

 

I'm happy when the Advisory is used as a discussion starter and would encourage all of you to follow suit if you haven't already.

 

Some asked if I would answer my own question. What would I do if approached by an excellent employee with the complaints that were in that letter? Hmm...

 

I would simply do everything in my power to make sure that what was in that letter was not a legitimate complaint. After all, it's this disparity of expectations that often demoralizes our best workers, burns them up and spits them out.

 

Unfairness is turnover's best buddy...especially for the good workers.
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I'd love to hear from you. Reply to this email and let me know your thoughts. 

 

Sincerely,  

Doug

 

Doug Cartland, President
Doug Cartland, Inc.

 

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