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I got into the garden the other day. (applause) My job was to pull weeds. Easy job.
Well, easy except that I noticed the Better Half NOT pulling stuff I was pulling. Oh dear. Better learn how to pull weeds and learn what is a weed and what’s not.
Problem is you have weeds at work! Yes, you do and you need to pull them!
What’s a weed?
A weed is a fine looking thing, if you don’t understand what a weed is. And if you don’t understand you’ll probably tend it, water it, feed it or, at worst, just let it go on existing. They tend to have a mind of their own anyway.
A Mind of Their Own …
That’s right. Most weeds (by now you understand we’re talking about non-productive, negative, draining employees/managers) have minds of their own. They do what they want to do.
- They can follow instruction, they just don’t.
- They know there’s a policy, they just ignore it.
- They know they are eating up the company’s valuable time and money, they’re just okay with it.
So what do you do?
I discovered that pulling weeds sounds simple … but isn’t. There is a technique. There’s also another variable with human weeds – they can change! (more on that later).
How you pull the weeds that need to be pulled varies.
The Yank! The Yank is a weed you identify, realise there is no value in keeping and must get rid of as quickly as possible. Grab it by the base (foundations) and remove quickly. Ensure nothing is left. Roots and all. Make it quick, clean and painless. They are probably looking for a way out anyway. Most staff will be happy with the results. The weed is totally gone and everyone can get on with their jobs.
The Slow Pull! Different to the Yank! You still grab it firmly by the base but if you pull too hard you’ll leave the roots. The weed will look like it’s gone but its remains will affect your garden later on. This like removing a staff member but their negative influence remains. Maybe you exited them wrongly and people blame you. These weeds may need a softer approach to their exit. Ensure they leave with dignity.
The Dugout! These are hard. They are firmly in the ground (old culture, part of the furniture) so in order to remove them completely you have to dig a little. This may mean upsetting their status quo. (”I’ve always done it this way, you can’t change me now!”) As change occurs, these are the ones who will gripe, resist, go behind your back and “white ant” what you are trying to do. Persist with your digging, feed the plants you want to grow and as soon as the soil is loose enough, meaning the momentum for change is on your side, remove the weed.
Weeds Can Change
Okay, here is the challenge. Removing human weeds is hard work. You want to believe they can change and you should persevere with them. Nice! The good news is, while in the plant world a weed is a weed, in the human world, people can chnange!
Here’s how you do that:
- Identify a weed that could become a plant.
- Define why they are a weed. Write it down (privately!) This will enable you to be specific in your thinking.
- If you think they can change, objectively describe why they will and how they will. For example: I think the BD person can change because we have never given her the framework/parameters we require to work within. It’s partly our fault.
- Provide the tools, information and a defined time frame for them to change – or at least show constructive change. Don’t let the time slip.
- Let them know they are being assessed
- Let them know they have your support … but …
If they change you will probably have one of your best staff. If they don’t … easy option.
Where there is no Gardener, there is No Garden (Stephen Covey, First Things First)
The above quote is so true. As Manager, Principal, Director, ultimately you are the gardener and, like countries, people get the politicians they deserve. Managers get the staff they invest in.
You are the Head Gardener. You may have weeds. You also have plants. How you cultivate your garden will determine what crop you get.
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