One Size Does Not Fit All

A note from Gene...

When I was in my 20s, I interviewed for a job at Deutsche Bank (a.k.a Bankers Trust). The interview went extremely well – and I was pretty sure I nailed it. As soon as I got home, I received a call from David (my soon to be boss) who not only said I had gotten the job but because he was so impressed with me he was offering me a higher starting salary than the one I had requested. I was ecstatic. Two weeks later, I started the job – which was in technology support. I had to learn a lot about desktop computers – not only how their software operated but how their hardware was assembled. Because this was not something I had done before (and the fit was not an easy one), I began to struggle. I thought that if I tried harder, I’d figure it out on my own. And I was ashamed to admit to David that I didn’t know how to do some of the things he had asked of me. One day, a month or so into the job, David said to me, “What happened to you, Gene? You were so good on the interview.” This was a humiliating and memorable moment for me, but I learned from it that sometimes you do have to ask for help. David also made a mistake by managing me incorrectly. This is a common problem I see in my clients – and there is an easy fix. It’s the topic of this issue.

One Size Does Not Fit All

"Managing is like holding a dove in your hand. Squeeze too hard and you kill it, not hard enough and it flies away." ~ Tommy Lasorda

Everyone loves to manage A players. We wish we all had nothing but A players on our teams, but that doesn’t usually happen. It’s more typical to see a mix of A and B players – and perhaps a few C’s and D’s. Each of these types of employees must be managed differently. There is a popular managerial model championed by Ken Blanchard called “Situational Leadership.” It’s a very interesting and complex theory, but I’ve adjusted it to my own simplified version. What follows is a description of each type of player and how each should be managed. A Players: These people are superstars. They always do an outstanding job and rarely need assistance. In fact, they do some things better than you do. They may be your successor. In managing them, never assume that they are entirely happy in their current roles. Be sure they are always learning new things, taking on new responsibilities and being prepared for promotions. Without this, you run the risk of losing them. B Players: These people are both competent and experienced. They are excellent developers of C players (described below) and work well with limited supervision from you. Meet with them regularly (whatever works best for both of you) to be sure they are on track – and properly rewarded. Attention to their careers is always inspiring to them. C Players: These people are competent but inexperienced. They need a short leash. Be sure to provide them with everything they need to succeed - training, encouragement, direction – whatever it takes. They certainly have the potential to become A or B players, if given the proper support. It’s a good idea to have an A or B player mentor a C player. It’s a win/win situation. D Players: These people are not competent. They demonstrate little or no interest in improving. The job may have changed since they were originally hired and they are now out of their league. You may have hired or inherited a bad fit. Whatever the cause, these individuals need to be moved off of your team – either to another team or out of your organization. That’s my version of the Situational Leadership model. People generally don’t fit into one category for all of the things they do. One person who is a B player on one project may be a C player on another. As a leader, it’s your job to identify their competency levels and manage them accordingly. This is not how my first boss managed me at Deutsche Bank. Fortunately, I soon got another boss who took an interest in my development and helped me to advance my career to a vice presidential level - pretty much by following this model. It’s something you should incorporate into your personal style of leadership – because it works.