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Last year I was approached to help with an underperforming branch. It had been ‘bleeding’ for a number of years and would have closed down should the owners have placed profits before people.
The situation was dire and something different needed to be done as a final attempt to ensure its survival. The rumour was that the directors were going to close the branch. The employees were naturally anxious and wanted an assurance that this would not happen during the ensuing financial year.
I discussed an approach with the manager who said he would put it to the employees and let me know what they thought. It required them to work a plan over three sessions for a couple of hours after work, essentially during their discretionary time.
I was shocked, although not terribly surprised, to hear that they did not want a motivational speaker and would rather distribute the money I was to be paid amongst themselves as this would lift their morale.
Furthermore, they were frustrated and saw little value in committing their free time to my plan if the branch was possibly going to be closed. I asked them – would you be better off learning about some strategic business and team fundamentals (which would apply throughout their working lives) and then the branch closed, or would you rather do nothing until it closed, should that ever materialise?
When last were you faced with a situation in which divergent expectations almost scuppered self-deceptive, naïve or ignorant thinking? Fortunately, I sensed a misunderstanding as I am not a motivational speaker, and I know what I offered was in no way aligned to their expectations.
Going back 20 years, I may have backed off and let them run with their preferred choice however I have seen this movie before and knew that little would change as things would continue as before.
A few fundamental tweaks were required – it’s delusional thinking that there will be change when nothing changes!
Although behaviour is geared for adaption we can, and do, get caught. Which of the three nouns could be the culprit?
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