12/17/2018
This is an article I wrote for Constructor Magazine, an Allied Construction Industry publication.
David Denny, Tetra
The single most important driver of organizational performance and individual managerial success is talent. Human capital.
A Gallup survey identified that about 30% of employees are engaged (psychologically committed) to the organization, 55% are productive (but not necessarily committed) and 15% are actively disengaged. We have named these groups Builders, Coasters and Breakers. Most leaders agree with these numbers and most times identify employees within their organization that fall into one of the three groups. There next thought is, “what does leadership have to do with people’s commitment level”? We believe it has everything to do with it.
Builders are the people who are creating the future of your organization. They go the extra mile, stay late, and do whatever it takes to win. They believe in what the organization is trying to accomplish and they believe in the leadership and where they’re going. Builders are energetic, enthusiastic and equipped with the tools and talents to move the organization forward. Their values are aligned with the values of the organization, they are proud of their work and the contribution they make to organizational success. It’s a habit for these people, its automatic, its who they are. They show up, dig in, share ideas and don’t complain; when they see a problem, they say “good”, because they see it as an opportunity for them or the organization to get better. They are constantly looking for ways to improve as individuals and as an organization. Builders are “we” people and without them, you don’t have an organization. Do not neglect them. If you do, they may slide down into the abyss of the Coaster.
As you can see from the figure, Coasters run a wide spectrum of people. From the almost Builder (solid performer) to the near Breaker (bare minimum), this group covers a significant amount of territory. The reasons for why people are in this category are almost endless (bad supervisor, lack of autonomy, organizational politics, unconnected to the mission, a “me” culture, lack of accountability, among others). Many former Builders land here due to disenchantment with the organization direction, disconnected with the leadership or discouraged at their lack of advancement. Most will provide a decent effort but won’t necessarily make progress toward the achievement of organizational goals or objectives. Coasters are inclined to “do what they’re told”, that sounds nice in theory but it may mean they shut off their brain at the door and wait for instruction. They will start shutting down their day to be ready to go home at quitting time, aka the clock-watchers.
“I quit, I just forgot to tell you” best describes our Breakers. They will still take your paycheck but may reward you with absenteeism, complaints, safety concerns, and talking bad about the organization and the customer. Again, there are a variety of reasons why people end up here. Many are “mishires” but even more are probably “misleds”. Mishires happen largely due to lack of thoroughness in the hiring process. “Misleds” happens when we on-board an individual and provide them with little or no guidance on the expectations and goals required for them to be successful. Nobody has ever said in an interview, “I will be a miserable performer and have a bad attitude”. The organization helps creates this by lack of expectations, consistency, training and coaching. Since most organizations are somewhat responsible for creating them, most organizations struggle with removing them, mostly out of guilt.
Employees aren’t born into any one of the categories, they choose to be where they are and can move up and down at anytime. Builders can turn into Breakers and Breakers into Builders (although not as common). Employees are faced with choices everyday and the responsibility of leadership is to create a culture that allows people to take the necessary steps to become Builders.
So what can leaders do? Leaders need to be intentional in:
Providing attention to your Builders – don’t neglect or take them for granted. There is a reason the graphic is on a slant. It’s an uphill battle maintain a high level of performance versus sliding and coasting downward.
Coaching the Coasters – share the bigger picture, ask them for their thoughts and ideas. Give them real responsibility with real decisions that effect real outcomes. Encourage and let them know they’re appreciated. Talk about and help them create a long term development plan.
Planning for your Breakers – determine how they got where they are and develop a plan for moving them up or out. Reinforce that some of the behaviors and attitudes they are exhibiting are unacceptable here. Let them know what it is that you expect from them and give the opportunity to change and move forward (with your guidance). If that doesn’t work, cut them loose, it was their decision.
Which one are you? How can you assist someone else get to where they need to be?
