It surprises me how often leaders wish they saw more of a behavior in their people, and yet so rarely actually talk about those things.

The problem that I’m finding today is that too many “silos” are being created in response to the “blame game.” No one wants to take responsibility when things go wrong, they want to blame someone else. This is not a culture that I was raised in and it is extremely frustrating to me. Is the onus on me, for example, to always “ask” for help or should other “team members” be on the lookout for ways they can help. Or, is it the responsibility of the leader to make sure that each team member is getting what they need? I never look at helping or rather not helping someone else as a way to escape blame. I look at helping someone else as a way to either utilize a skill set or to increase my knowledge and skill set in a particular area. Perhaps I stretch myself too thin but I’d rather learn something new than to stay stagnant in my career.

On the flip side, when one does help another team member and that team member uses that help as a way to place blame on everyone else but themselves when mistakes are found, it creates tension and does not increase one’s desire to want to help that person again.

What is the answer if the leader does not recognize the problem or perhaps doesn’t care that it is a problem? Many times leaders will band-aid the situation instead of working to resolve the issue. How does one who probably needs the help of their team get that help when they are not in a “true” team environment? I feel like I’m asking the ever popular question, “How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop?”

Thanks for letting me rant.

Hands-on people know what needs to be done, but the farther the decision-making from the actual work, the less effective the teamwork.

Personally, I think that feedback and measurement systems have an awful lot to do with performance, as does ownership and engagement. You WILL get what you measure from the average employee, and often not much more.

Senge’s comments about Accidental Adversaries also rings with me, in that little “pinches” get to be REALLY annoying over time. With measures and pinches comes “interdepartmental collaboration.” which is one of my most favorite oxy-morons.

The reality is conversation, focus, alignment, and leadership that supports good measures and feedback. Lots of other things can also happen, but people will do what they are (generally) expected AND measured to do.

You also have self-directed supporters, lots of middle people who will watch, a few Spectator Sheep who will not be engaged but who will express their opinions verbally, and often a few actively dis-engaged saboteurs, who operate for their own individual rationales and reasons.

Wheeeeeeeee.