Dave Duckit lost his job because he wouldn’t fight to keep it.
Hannah Highway lost her job because she valued being right more than she valued doing the right thing.
Larry Leeway lost his job because he needed more room to maneuver than his company had space to give him.
What are the stories behind the headlines?
Dave Duckit: Dave acts laid back and appears to be a get along, go along person, but don’t let looks deceive. He’s easy on others and hard on himself. He apologizes when it’s not his fault and does the job that no one else will. Dave stays out of the sight and out of harm’s way. He’s the nice guy, the agreeable guy, but not the guy you go to for directions, recommendations, or decisions. Dave’s co-workers know that he’s courteous, loyal, and honest. They just aren’t sure about what he does or how he adds value. Dave feels overused, underpaid, and unappreciated but he won’t say so.
Dave, these days aren’t like those days. In those days you could keep your head down and get lost in the crowd, keep your job and get your pay. These days, there is no crowd. Everyone steps up and stands out or the buck stops. You have to pull more than your weight and make sure others know what you’re doing. You have to be goal focused and situationally flexible. You have to make decisions and take responsibility for them. Anything less than that gets you on the short list to the unemployment line.
Hannah Highway: Watch out. Hannah thinks she’s always right and anyone who disagrees with her does so at considerable risk. She sees life as a contest to be won and sees herself as the only competitor worth taking it on. She comes across as insensitive, arrogant, combative, and dismissive.
She deflects negative feedback and blames her critics for gender discrimination. She says she’s being punished for the same behaviors men in her company are rewarded for. She’s deluding herself. No one gets rewarded for the behaviors she exhibits.
Hannah needs an attitude adjustment but it’s unlikely that she’ll sign on for one without strong and unrelenting encouragement from a boss who is candid, direct, and focused on her development. She needs to understand the connection between the negative impressions she makes and the negative consequences that follow if she continues her hammer-handed ways.
She’ll need to learn strategies that demonstrate value and appreciation for the contributions of others. If Hannah’s half as good as she thinks she is and her company is willing to invest in her potential, she’ll benefit from 360 degree feedback and the opportunity to work with an external, objective coach who will keep her focused on doing the right things for the right reasons.
Larry Leeway. Here he comes and there he goes. Larry’s all over the place while doing his own thing. He can push boundaries like a bulldozer or snooze standing up. And until lately, no one cared. He’d work half the night and come in late the next day, and no one cared. He’d be so creative and enthusiastic in staff meetings, no one cared that he wore tee shirts and shorts when he spoke with clients. As long as he was brilliant, stimulating, and motivating, no one seemed to care that he broke the rules of conventional behavior. Certainly no one said anything to him when he did. But that changed when business fell off. Suddenly everyone cared that he was late to work and looked like he slept in his clothes. They no longer cheered his enthusiasm and spontaneity, but complained that he was boisterous, bothersome, and pushed the boundaries of propriety. Larry was the odd man and he was out.
Larry, Dave, and Hannah can either learn from or ignore their cautionary tale. The rest of us can recognize a fundamental truth embedded within each story. In good times, the workplace tends to be expansive and forgiving. In bad times, the workplace shrinks as much in size as it does in its acceptance of difference and the vagaries of the human condition.
