My phone was ringing. Who in their right mind would call me at 3:00 AM! I answer with a gruff voice and a woman shrieks into my ear! I am momentarily stunned by the vocal onslaught and sit up to get my bearings.
She was still shouting when I place my phone in my ear and started to hear what she was saying. "I've done it finally!" She exclaims. "I finally had the courage to apply and I received the confirmation letter today that I got promoted!" She says.
Fighting off grogginess I congratulate her and smile that she finally took that step towards the goals we set 3 years ago.
Back to the Future Part 1
She came to my team a reject from another. She had stacks of warnings, an attitude problem as stated in her confidential file from HR and she was in her last account transfer. I was her final stop in her career here and frankly, I didn't know what to do with her.
She was loud, obnoxious and had the temper and energy of a two-year-old. She slacked from her work, took shortcuts and was a headache to coach. Clearly, she hated her job. I asked her in one of our coaching sessions if she liked what she was doing and she bluntly said no. She needed it to feed her son and was the breadwinner for her family.
This was one of the reasons why she had poor performance issues. She did not believe in what the company was doing and felt unwanted. The repeated transfers did so much damage to her motivation and engagement with her peers and the company.
She was highly resistant to coaching and openly admitted that she was already looking for work in other companies because she knew her days were numbered. Management encourages that we use the Pareto Principle and concentrate on the 20% that does 80% of the output of a team.
She was already designated as a fallout. Wasting time and effort to save her would be ludicrous. The old me would have just waited for her next issue, give a warning and be done with it. Yet she came to my life where I have already changed my leadership style.
Simon Sinek
A major part of my change was being exposed to Simon Sinek's management philosophy. His book Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action and his inspirational video
How great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek the 3rd most watched TED video changed my life.
If you haven't seen it I highly recommend that you watch it.
Back to the Future Part 2
We worked on getting her motivation back. I can only guide but motivation must come from within. She needs to answer her Why. It was a painstaking process of building trust, self -esteem and most of all engagement. The rest like performance and attendance follows.
We were making progress. She was feeling good about herself again and what she was contributing to the team. She no longer felt that she was a burden and ostracized by the rest. She was finally on a team that accepted her. For the first time, she was happy.
Back to the Future Part 3
Okay, I know that part 3 was the far past but we are working a theme here! Lying on my bed hearing her talk and be excited about this new step in her career, She asked me "How to be you?"
It made me pause because I have never thought myself special. I have been highly criticized for a more employee-friendly stance that I have taken and often treating people like friends and equal co-workers. Some managers don't even like having lunch with their teams. I have never seen myself as a boss but rather as a guide.
I always joke when someone calls me Sir. I tell the fresh face that what I want to be called is Overlord, Grandmaster of Engagement and Keeper of all the Food. Made a lot of people blink when I say this with a straight face and people behind me snicker as they have heard it a hundred times.
It takes a lot of effort but I try not to give up on people. In the same way, a supervisor I had before did not give on me and gave me a chance.
Motivation and Engagement are two aspects that I really focus on people. When people are happy and engaged they tend to work harder and cooperate better. Taking cue from Simon Sinek my annoying phrase is "Together is Better" We celebrate everyone's accomplishments.
You will have detractors, not everyone can be saved or want to be saved, you will fail at times, you will stumble but know that people will help you out. Treat them like human beings that deserve your time, effort and commitment to make them the best versions of themselves.
Go ahead and take that first step and be the person I saw the potential all those years ago. Go forth to your future.
In a way I behave that way here is Steemit. I have tried not to have an ego and find it funny when people call me Sir or Boss. I take the time to explain to people how they can get better even if I am asked again and again.
I admit at times it can be frustrating to answer the same questions but I just think that how would I feel if someone started shouting at me and tell them off that I can't be bothered. I would be demotivated and will not ask again. That would have broken the cycle of communication.
I am all about inclusivity and helping everyone that I can. If I focus on the top 20% that produces 80% of the posts then how am I helping the rest of the community to grow?
People have their own pace of growth and all we can do is just sprinkle them with kinds words of motivation and some upvotes that makes them feel that no matter what someone is looking after them and engaging them in this platform.
I still believe Steem is the future of Social Engagement and quality posts. We all just need that one chance and that one person who believes in us.
