You’re a good manager. You listen to your people. You help them with obstacles. You try your best to be a better leader.
But for some reason, your department is stagnant. You aren’t getting the ‘hot’ projects. Your team comes to work defeated and war-torn. And worst of all, you see other teams all moving up.
What’s going on? Your team isn’t effectively growing and developing to allow all ships to rise. Many managers complain about team infighting, missed deadlines, focusing on emergencies rather than priorities, and a general malaise of new work, ideas, and solutions.
High Action people focus on getting things done. They are deadline-oriented and come to work with a full tank of gas — they don’t sit around and wait for something to happen — they make it happen.
Low Action people are what I call ‘just jobbers’ — they are not assertive in their work. They watch the clock and try to stretch simple responsibilities into day-long extravaganzas.
Low Attitude people bring an opposing viewpoint to everything they do. They’re the complainers, the obstacles, the ‘can’t-do’s.’ You’ll spend an inordinate amount of time handling their daily drama and try to motivate them to make it through their weekly tasks.
High Attitude people understand work is a part of their life. They are engaged in the process and take on challenges with aplomb. They energize their people with a ‘can-do’ attitude and bring new ideas, solutions, and insights to everything they touch. And they do it with a smile.
There are four types of people on your team:
Right-Hand Rory (high action, high attitude) - Rory is a keeper — someone who will probably take your place someday. She will get her work done (and then some), she consistently asks for more challenging work, and she does it with a positive, infectious attitude. She reminds you of YOU.
Happy Hannah (low action, high attitude) - Hannah is a bright light for your team, but she can only accomplish her essential duties each day. Anything new is highly challenging for her, and she frequently hits obstacles and misses deadlines because of her abilities. But she still brings a positive view to work and everyone she works with.
Lost Lucas (high action, low attitude) - Lucas attacks work with vigor; he dives into any project or task with excitement. But his attitude is tripped up with indecision and barriers, which ultimately trips up his action and brings it to a hard stop.
Deadbeat Danny (low action, low attitude) - he is an anathema to your people. Not only does he not take action on his current duties, but his poor attitude is infectious and damaging to others on your team.
You will have gradations of people that span low/high action and low/high attitude. But it is imperative that you measure them on the matrix to understand where they are now and what you must do to move them up (and to the right).
ACTION STEPS:
High Action/High Attitude Quadrant — (Right-Hand Rory) Consistently point to their work and give them accolades in front of your team. They are the shining beacon your team should aspire to and ensure that you give them frequent acknowledgment, focus, more challenging work, and most of all, increased pay and bonuses to keep them happy and engaged.
Low Action/High Attitude Quadrant — (Happy Hannah) Give them tightly-controlled task lists weekly so they know exactly what is required of them and when you’d like to see it. They are engaged mentally, but they are impacted by external forces that trip them up. So your job is to grow their confidence, their knowledge base, and their relationships to the Rorys on your team to mimic.
High Action/Low Attitude Quadrant — (Lost Lucas) Don’t interrupt Lucas’ momentum with projects and tasks; they get things done. They need an attitude adjustment — find out what the real problem is — it might be some people around them, acknowledgment from you, or even a personal issue. The faster you find out why their attitude sucks and how it’s affecting their career (and the team), the quicker you can both change it for, the better.
Low Action/Low Attitude Quadrant — (Deadbeat Danny) If you have any people that consistently live in this quadrant, you need to give Danny a sharp action/attitude adjustment. They need to be closely monitored on all their activities and ensure they understand that their poor attitude makes you re-think their future at the company. They need to know that you will be taking severe next steps if they don’t change their ways quickly.