Valerie Van Brocklin, Speaker, Trainer, Author “Those who teach, learn.”
—Seneca (c. 4 BC – AD 65),
A Roman philosopher, statesman and dramatist, Seneca’s quote reminds me of one of the things I love about teaching.
One learning opportunity came to me in an email from a participant in one of my leadership seminars. I encourage attendees to stay in touch, send me questions, victories and defeats. It’s like having a national laboratory. It also keeps me grounded. It’s easy to get lost in the land of the theoretical.
The Challenge.
The email presented this challenge:
An officer in this department has been described by others as impulsive, quirky and borderline ADD {Attention Deficit Disorder]. As his supervisor for the past year, he has presented some of these characteristics on more than one occasion. Although this is not a big problem, as it does not take up too much of my time, his lack of focus on easy assignments is a serious concern.
I’ve told him he needs to focus and pay attention to detail. However, he makes the same mistakes over and over. I have found that he is a poor listener, too.
I plan to meet with him regularly to discuss his assignments and progress. I feel that he can improve if he were to acknowledge his weaknesses and work on improving those areas.
Any suggestions on how you might deal with this officer are appreciated.
A Tough One
So, what do you think, dear reader? I’d welcome hearing from you. I’ve no doubt I could learn from many of you as well. You may assume that actual ADD, or any other mental or physical condition or emotional circumstances (pending divorce, seriously ill-child, etc.) have been ruled out.
“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question,” said the Roman playwright Eugene Ionesco. So I started by asking myself some questions.
Was it really necessary to begin with the officer acknowledging his weaknesses? What would that accomplish? Validation maybe for a frustrated supervisor, but I’d talked to this supervisor during breaks in my training. I knew she cared about her charges and would feel much more validated if she could assist her officer in succeeding.
Instead of telling him what to do to improve, what if she asked him some questions that might have him coming up with what to do. This holds a couple of advantages. One is the potential for self-discovery and learning on the officer’s part. The other is a plan of action that the officer has an ownership stake in because he came up with what he needed to do, rather than the supervisor telling him.
In His Own Words
I suggested the supervisor meet with the officer and first share her belief that he has promising potential (“He can improve”).
Next she could ask him why he joined the department. Based on his answer, she could ask him why he cares about that.
The supervisor could then share with the officer why she cares about the department’s mission. From this common ground, the supervisor could expand into why she cares about each of the officers she supervises succeeding, including him.
Then the supervisor could advise the officer that she needs his help to help him be the most successful officer he can be. So, she would like to know from him:
These are too many questions for one meeting. They could be addressed over time—a few each week. They could be given to the officer in writing ahead of meetings so he could think about them and not feel put on the spot.
This isn’t a test. It’s a genuine effort to engage the officer in what he needs to do to improve.
After this question and answer process, the supervisor might enlist the officer to use his answers to set performance goals for himself. Also, if the supervisor learned from the officer’s answers there are things she could do or stop doing, she could set some goals for herself and thank the officer for his help.
The supervisor could next ask the officer to suggest a system for monitoring and measuring his progress. I suggest the officer continue to use questions. Would he prefer to answer his questions in writing or in a weekly chat with the supervisor? Should he ask himself daily or weekly:
There may be other questions more specific to the officer’s challenges:
During this latter question and answer process, the supervisor should share with the officer that she thinks he can be a successful, contributing officer to the important mission of the department if he follows through on his plan for success.
The final advantage: There is an additional advantage to trying to solve the problem officer in his own words by leading him with questions to his own answers. If the officer is one of those few who really can’t cut it with even the best leadership, the supervisor will have excellent documentation of that – in the officer’s own words.
A Final Caveat
Intention counts. The intention in leading officers to find their own solutions must be genuine. It should be accompanied with a stated belief that they can succeed. A belief you demonstrate by the time you take with them.
So, don’t try this if you don’t or can’t take the time needed to see it through with right intention. Asking questions without taking the time to sincerely listen to the answers is worse than not asking. It’s hypocritical and it will demoralize more than just telling the officer what he must do to meet your expectations and hoping he does it.
But, employed genuinely, asking the right questions of officers can be a powerful tool in helping them solve their performance problems and set their own action plans for success.