When I came home from work today, my 6-year-old son had a friend over and they were making planes out of LEGOs, or as he calls it “Building LEGOs.” By the look on my son’s face, it was clear that something was up and that he was not having the best of times. When his friend excused himself to go to the bathroom, my wife asked our son whether he wanted his friend to go home. The response made perfect sense to all three of us: “Mom, I don’t really like him but I don’t want him to go home. I don’t want to play by myself and he is pretty good at LEGOs.” I was pleased with the response, as over the years I have come to understand that position all too well.
In the workplace, how many times do we find ourselves working with people we don’t necessarily like being around? We put up with certain people because we need some help in general, because they provide specific expertise that we might not have, or simply because it’s part of being a professional. I know I am not alone when I admit to having been in such a situation, whether it was a lab partner in high school, an acquaintance who was more mechanically inclined, or someone who was willing to provide a ride to a destination of choice. We have all been there at one point or another. It is part of being a friend, a teammate or just co-existing on this planet. We make the most of the interaction, complete the task at hand, and move on. And yes, I will admit there is a good chance I have been “That Guy” and not just put up with “That Guy.”
A much more challenging situation to deal with is that of “Building LEGOs” with someone whom you truly like but who unintentionally and repeatedly disassembles the creations you’ve made by yourself or with other teammates. How do you let that person know that his actions are setting the team back or resulting in creations that are not all that useful? (I know, how is any LEGO creation useful? It’s an analogy, stay with me!) I see people react to such situations in different ways.
- Some choose to continually fix the creation after the colleague leaves;
- Some choose to talk about the personal shortfalls with other colleagues as a means of amusement; and
- Some choose to help that colleague address his shortcomings and help him overcome whatever issues are causing the destructive “contributions.”
I must admit that I have reacted in all three of these manners in both my personal and professional lives and though I have ultimately grown to the point where my default is now #3, I still slip into #1 more than I should. If my hope is for those to address my many shortcomings through constructive mentorship, I better be willing to give them the same courtesy.
- Are we helping our teammates to increase their contributions?
- Are we receptive to others providing us with constructive feedback?
- Is there ever a place for poking fun at someone for their shortcomings?
Sean, too often we default to #1 because we feel it is quicker and easier to make the correction ourselves than to train a colleague – if you want it done right do it yourself. Option #3 is often the most difficult but also the most effective. The ease or difficulty of #3 depends on a few things: the existing relationship between you and the friend/co-worker; how you approach them about their shortcomings; and how well they receive constructive criticism. Invariably, providing feedback and mentorship in the situation you described starts out rough but, when it involves two mature adults working in a non-threatening environment, can reap huge rewards for everyone, including the organization.
Well stated, Fouled Anchor. Thanks for making the time to comment!