The Boomerang Effect: The Dark Side of Enthusiasm
Lousy leaders keep the peace by giving gravy assignments to psychos and crappy assignments to people with good attitudes.
The dark side of enthusiasm is ending up with all the crap assignments.
To leaders:
Don’t be the leader who protects lousy employees and punishes the good.
Some bosses give the best assignments to employees who throw a fit when they’re given a crap assignment. It’s short-sighted and self-centered to give all the crappy assignments to people with good attitudes.
Taking on crappy assignments:
Solving tough problems and doing hard work earns you the privilege of solving more tough problems and doing more hard work.
You might think good performance earns you the opportunity for a gravy assignment. But, in reality, people look in your direction when problems are nasty.
Be helpful and aspirational.
Bring it up:
Explore how assignments are given if you seem to end up with all the crappy jobs.
- Ask how you might earn the opportunity to take on an exciting job.
- Explain that you want to position yourself to add the most value and advance your career. Be aspirational, not confrontational.
- Seek feedback on behaviors that might hold you back. Dig into generalities. Seek specific suggestions.
- Don’t pressure the boss to make promises or commitments about the future. Keep in mind that many factors impact the way assignments are given.
- Don’t complain to the boss about the psychos on the team. Maybe the boss hired them.
Taking one for the team:
A cowardly boss will make excuses for giving psychos the best assignments. If you hear excuses or self-justification, sharpen your resume. It won’t change.
Don’t work in an organization where ‘taking one for the team’ is rewarded by the expectation you’ll always take one for the team.
Don’t let generosity be the reason you let people walk on you.
How might you get the most out of your enthusiasm without becoming a doormat?
The key here as a leader or follower is to really know the layout of the playing field. If one is knowledgeable enough and observant you can see that field and use it to your and the teams advantage. Back in the mid 90s I worked on the East coast at one of the larger Nuclear Power stations. I was in the Electrical Design group a pool of 11 of us with one supervisor. What I noticed is that each morning the other 10 guys would often leave our trailer quickly about the time our Supervisor was coming back from the morning meeting so I was left as the only one he would see to handle that days “emergency” assignment. So I thought to myself if I was going to have all the emergencies and work them (some might say crap assignments) I might as well control the situation. I found a friend (my spy) who was from another department who was always at the morning meeting. I asked him to contact me (during the meeting or shortly afterwards) when an Emergency was coming back with my supervisor. He always did so, the trailer team scattered and I would get the information on what was coming up. I would digest it, detail what support I needed (from others in the trailer team or elsewhere). I would write them down, contact the external help I needed letting them know what I wanted and then I would wait in my supervisors office for him to return. I would then let him know I was aware of the situation, I have already started gathering support and here’s who I needed internally to help and what I needed them to do. He would always smile at me and say you got it and I would go off and control the situation handling the emergency job efficiently, completely and in control. I took control, he as my supervisor knew what I needed and supported me always with a smile as we together would tackle the situation. When I left the group moving West in 2001 we went to lunch and he thanked me for the way I handled those situations and was glad to have me on his team. I thanked him for allowing me to handle those situations in that manner.
Thanks Roger. Brilliant! What I take from this is if you’re always getting the “crap assignments” identify who you need to help. In simple terms, spread the crap around. Ask for help. Dang that’s good.
BTW, congrats on using “office politics” as a useful tool for you and your organization.
PS You remind me of something I heard Colin Powell say. He had a personal insider at the significant meetings he could not attend. KaPow
Dan:
The interesting part today from this type of previous work is I am identifying mostly external “help” from suppliers or friends that help me in my “crap” tasks. It is still the same, identify the playing field, the players, and what can be done together or alone then move forward the best you can. Definitely out side of the box thinking. If others always take the left road and it always leads to the same conclusion and result why not take the right road and get a different totally unexpected conclusion that might meet the need in a better more efficient manner. I am in some ways a natural disrupter in this aspect and I really have fun solving the challenges. I have even more fun explaining it to my 23 year old College son who uses similar thought patterns on his challenges.
GOLD! This post was just what I needed. It made me laugh about the psychos that were immediately brought to mind from various teams, it made me feel the pain of countless crap assignments, and it inspired me to stay steady on the course of not being a lousy leader. I’ll admit sometimes simply not wanting to hear the whines and complaints from the psychos weighs on me and others on the leadership team. But we can’t reward negative behavior while discouraging the true all-stars that know how to really shovel the ‘load’ when it piles up. Thanks.
Thanks John. Let’s face it. The path of least resistance is tempting. 🙂
I admire your insight and openness.
Nice piece Dan. Thank you
Thanks Mark. Cheers
Thank you for sharing this. I have seen this happening where the older staff get the gravy jobs that builds their worth in the organisation and most of the dud jobs go to the new employees.
Dan,
Fabulous insights today, interestingly enough today we had a conversation on merits and rewarding individuals with a project.
My stance came down to those who do all the crappy assignments and never complain.
They become my first choice the whiners and non conformist can sit out.
I struggle with rewarding anyone who feels they are entitled with their post poor work ethics.
Great read Dan, and love the graphic!
There is no worse place to be as a leader than in a state of fear, and creating a status quo where good people give up and move on.
This one hit at just the right moment for me personally, Dan. This is a great caution to the “leaders” who do this sort of thing.