I was talking with a leader about one of his direct reports. He’s not keen on how Dennis is doing. He’s lost the spark he had when he was hired over a decade ago.
Is it reasonable to expect someone with years of seasoning to continue to demonstrate “new employee” verve like his new peers?
What specifically does he want Dennis to do differently? He wants him to DWHSHWD when he says he will do it. Not say yes and then let it linger. Is he asking Dennis questions like, “When can I expect to see xyz, and what could get in the way of you doing that?”
The second part of the question could open up dialog and raise the leader’s awareness of what else is happening. Does he know what Dennis is juggling and what his challenges are?
Sadly, this leader said, “I’ll talk with him about this when we do his annual performance review in December.” What? Wait three months to tell him you have concerns about how he’s handling things? Let him continue to dig the hole he’s created?
I suggested he tell him now about his concerns and why, and give Dennis a chance to make some changes. Why keep him in the dark? He thinks Dennis should “get it” and not have to be told, but he agreed to have that conversation soon. I hope he does.
When you’re frustrated with something someone is doing, and it has happened more than once, have a candid conversation focusing on what the person can do to be successful. Good leaders look for what they can do to help their people do better. The person may have a blind spot about what you’re focusing on, and the sooner they know it the better.
