I saw it in her eyes …. she feels betrayed.
#CoffeeWithFriends My friend shared that she was asked to take on an organization-level secondary appointment last year. Although she was hesitant, her immediate supervisor did not object, so she reluctantly agreed.
Unfortunately, at several points of the year, her secondary appointment clashed with her core work. At these points, my friend looked to her boss for support but there was none. Instead of supporting her by adjusting the timeline of her core work to balance the demands of the two roles, her boss incessantly pressed her to deliver on her core work. Unable to drop either task, with her time and attention divided, her performance in her core work was less than ideal and she received a poor performance rating for the year.
I believe that as leaders, we need to set our colleagues up for success. If we ask (or in my friend’s case, allow) a colleague to take on a task or a secondary appointment, it is incumbent on us to make sure they succeed.
My friend’s sense of betrayal is understandable. She took on more than was required when asked, she did not receive the support to succeed, and she was penalized. In this instance, her boss failed her. I subscribe to the philosophy that there are no bad employees, only bad leaders. Thus, while we give our colleagues credit for success, we need to take the blame for their failures.
My key message in relating this story is to highlight the concept of Mission, Demand, and Support — tell your colleague clearly what the demands and expectations of the mission are; and provide them with the necessary support and assistance to accomplish the mission.
What’s your philosophy?
