5 Strategies that Defeat Drifting
The trouble with teams is drifters; people who hide behind the work of others. Drifters are more than annoying; they’re dangerous, damaging dead weight.
Drifters de-motivate the motivated and drain energy from the energized.
Poorly run teams protect low performers.
Energized team members ask, “Why am I busting my butt?” when drifters succeed.
Dealing with drifters:
- Keep teams small. Large teams are a drifter’s paradise. They present opportunities for drifters to hide behind the performance of others.
- Assign tasks to individuals. Teams achieve goals because individuals perform tasks. High performance teams consist of high performance individuals.
- Recognize and reward both teams and individuals. Individual performance drops when individual effort is marginalized.
- Show everyone their value. Explain the reason each individual is on the team. Identify and agree upon the unique skills and deliverables each individual brings to the team.
- Hold individuals accountable even when they’re on teams. Teams succeed on the efforts of individuals. Track individual and team performance.
Bonus: Expect candor on the team. Be candid when you see smoke blowing. Press for specifics when drifters give generalities.
Overcoming gullibility:
Skilled drifters convince leaders they’re contributing when they’re not.
Drifters use future tense to convince
leaders they’ve done something in the past.
Ask a drifter what they’ve done and they’ll talk about what they’re going to do. Ask a high performer what they’ve done and they talk about the past.
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How can leaders/managers identify and deal with drifters?
What factors enhance the performance of teams?
Is the formation and functioning of high performance teams managements greatest challenge?
I call them dementors as they suck the soul and energy from a team.
That they do. Thanks Leah
“Ask a drifter what they’ve done and they’ll talk about what they’re going to do. Ask a high performer what they’ve done and they talk about the past.” I like this example.
Would it be fair to also conclude that any answer other than a direct answer should set off a red flag of a free-loader?
Good point Adam. The more someone talks around something the more worrisome they are. People who have delivered results love talking about results. Cheers!
The main way to deal with drifters is accountability. These people tend to spend a lot more enegy trying to convince people that they are getting the job done than actually doing the job. They get distracted by the minutiae and contribute little.
Make them (and everyone) accountable to their team members and their team leaders by setting firm due dates on tasks that have been assigned. If it is a frequent major hold-up of the work, I would also post the assignments and due dates after meetings so that everyone can clearly see what is due and when.
They need only fall short a few times before they are either marked as pariahs or step up their game to actually become part of the team, the process and the solution.
Great suggestions Marina. Thank you.
I see clarity, transparency, and deadlines as essential components of accountability.
Ms. Martina,
Good points as added. I may include even progress checks as a control tool and encouragement to individuals while they are on their performing tasks as sure ways for the desired output.
At times, things go beyond our control with some drifters acting more as slow poison and are in a mood to influence others with non-productive tactics. Successful leaders will always be tough with them and may weed out such people by side-tracking or removing to ensure the team’s high performance.
I also think it important to get behind the attitudes and into the causal behavior. Sometimes, these people are just “leveling the playing field” because they feel that the organization has done things to them, so they are simply paying back. Or some such thing…
It is highly likely that these people have the knowledge and skills to perform, but they are just dis-engaged. My new little toolkit will focus on Dis-Un-Engagement, some strategies to get into what is blocking engagement and to remove those factors through facilitated group inter-activities and other simple involvement strategies..
Since, “Nobody Ever Washes a Rental Car,” it is hard to blame the worker for not being engaged by the workplace and the leadership. People respond to their perceptions of reality and it is highly likely that this person was once a “good hire.” Shift happens for a reason.
And, there is real value in turning around the currently low-performing worker into a more productive one, as it relates to saving lots of training money, reducing errors, affects on peers and their attitudes, etc.
Hi Dan,
Six months ago I had a first hand experience of a drifter who convinced everyone that he was great at his job. I kept on asking him to produce to me his work , which ke kept on giving me excuses. The last time I did I had my ex-boss on the phone giving me the third degree. Finally I quit because he managed to convinced everyone that he was the best and was capable of leading the team better than I were.
Looking back I can say that I poorly managed him and fell to his excuses for a while and when I started asking questions it was too late.
In my new leadership job I will be ensuring that I lead better by monitoring everyone and expecting accountability.
I can say that drifters are poor performers and are extremely good at coming across like they are doing some work.
Thanks again for an informative article,
Kel
Thanks, Dan, for giving me some pointers on how to handle my team to improve both morale and productivity. We meet tomorrow, so I will have the chance to put some of your suggestions into action. Diane
This is a great reminder to always be vigilant for those that are “coasting”. I believe our first responsibility as leaders is to give every member on our team 100%, even the drifters. This means helping them connect to their niche on the team. But after that, if there is still no traction and productivity, I believe we give them our best by giving them the opportunity to work elsewhere. Tough love.
This is a good reminder that leaders should expend their energies on their top 20% who do 80% of the work. After a little time has passed a ‘drifter’ will have an opportunity to move into a ‘performer’ and as more time passes, a ‘high performer’. As this is effectively managed the outcome will be a strong team with strong individuals who will achieve greater results for the organization.
Simply splendid!