When employees are promoted, power struggles frequently occur. When the promoted employee is well-liked by his co-workers, the transition may not be as difficult, but jealousy and contention are unavoidable – it is human nature.
In “Promoting with Purpose,” we talked about succession planning and about how top performers are not always natural leaders. When an under-the-radar employee is selected for a leadership role, he will often have push-back from more outspoken personalities in the company. The key to a drama-free transition is in the way the management and the new leader handle the squeaky wheels.
Consider the case of Genius George and Faux-in-the-know-Moe. George was selected as a replacement for the retiring VP of Research and Development. Although he is intelligent and understanding, George is having a difficult time with one employee in particular, Moe. Moe is bitter that he was not chosen, so he is purposefully trying to make things difficult for George. Moe is proving George wrong whenever possible, spreading rumors, defaming his character, and refusing to do any work that George gives him.
Evaluate the assessment
Second, he sat down with George to review Moe’s Profiles Performance Indicator (PPI), which provides information concerning specific behavioral indicators and the employee’s work style.
George reported to his CEO, Mr. E, that he was having problems managing Moe. Mr. E had anticipated that Moe would be vehemently oppositional, so he was not surprised when George came to him. Mr. E decided that he could coach George in two ways. First, he told George that Moe is reactive because his ego is damaged. He encouraged George to try to understand that Moe will be upset for a while. Second, he sat down with George to review Moe’s Profiles Performance Indicator (PPI), which provides information concerning specific behavioral indicators and the employee’s work style. As they review the results, Mr. E has the opportunity to highlight Moe’s tendencies so that George can adapt his managerial style to Moe.
Use the Assessment to Formulate a Plan of Action
According to the PPI, Moe scores lowest on Scales I, II, III. Scale II measures enthusiasm, persuasiveness and optimism. This low score indicates that he is not naturally optimistic, so he is pessimistic in response to change. He scores high on motivational intensity, so it is difficult for him to accept that his hard work did not result in a promotion.
After evaluating the PPI, Mr. E and George conclude that the issue is Moe’s motivational intensity and adaptation to change. Mr. E realizes that George is going to have to specifically alter his managerial style to fulfill Moe’s needs in order to motivate him to complete his tasks. George needs to understand that Moe’s high motivational intensity makes him likely to be overly critical of others who do not maintain his high standards.
Implement the plan
He tells the employees the results they need to achieve, but he is careful not to tell them how to do their jobs.
Mr. E and George discuss the best ways of interacting with Moe, and George implements Mr. E’s instructions. First, he calls a team meeting. During this meeting he informs the team of the goals to be achieved, and explains how these goals cascade down to each employee. He tells the employees the results they need to achieve, but he is careful not to tell them how to do their jobs. He establishes the expectation that he will meet with each employee to understand his or her plan as well. After the team meeting, George meets one-on-one with Moe. George acknowledges the interpersonal problem between himself and Moe in a straightforward manner, and takes Moe through a step-by-step process for overcoming the issue. George then arranges weekly tag-up meetings with Moe to ensure that Moe feels engaged and is performing at the desired level.
Mr. E has improved George’s management skills by coaching George through the process of identifying the cause of the problem with the PPI and, by helping him adapt his management styles based on those results. The PPI provides an opportunity to improve management skills by allowing the manager to have a clear picture of each individual employee.
The PPI provides an opportunity to improve management skills by allowing the manager to have a clear picture of each individual employee.
Friction results when people are put into new positions. It takes effort from the manager and from the employees to adjust to change. A key element of a smooth transition of any kind is to understand how those involved communicate and interpret information. Once you understand the “why” behind the behavior, you can determine how to best manage it.
