Leadership Barometer 178 You Don’t Need More People

January 3, 2023

I hear the complaint all the time, “We need more people.” It is easy to convince yourself that you do not have enough people.  The Great Resignation tended to thin out the population. Quiet Quitting has made the existing workforce much less efficient.  Both of these issues are caused when leaders try to apply a “command and control” leadership style.  In our current situation, that mentality leads many leaders to conclude that if we only had more people we would be better off.

You don’t need to more people; you need to change your leadership style

The irony is that you do not need more people; you need better leaders.  If that sounds harsh, let me explain why I make that conclusion. I have witnessed productivity increases greater than 100% when leaders shift from command control to a trust and inspire philosophy.  That is why I am so fond of Stephen M.R. Covey’s new book, Trust and Inspire.

Stephen makes the case that when leaders double down on command and control methods, people get turned off.  Many of them either quit and leave or quit and stay.  Either way, the engagement of the workforce is going to be inadequate. Leaders instinctively jump to the mindset that they need to hire more people.

By shifting the culture to one of greater psychological safety and extending more trust, people will rally to your cause.  The empowerment will return, and you will find your current workforce can carry the load without difficulty.

It does not take years to accomplish more

The good news is that it does not take years to accomplish this shift. I have seen a doubling of productivity in roughly six months. Leaders must understand that it is them, not the workers, who need to change. Many companies are discovering the stubborn consistency of the theory. There is brilliant engagement and energy sitting right in front of you. As a leader, your job is to unleash that untapped potential. 

Leaders are stuck in a rut 

Unfortunately, most leaders believe that with workers in a hybrid situation at best they need to keep closer track of activities. That attitude sows the seeds of their own demise. The mindset does not produce what leaders want, so they double down on the pressure and make things even worse. I see this happening in numerous organizations.

Change your style

I see some groups that are smart enough to change their style and unleash the workers thriving. Not only are the resources adequate, but when they do have an opening, the best workers line up to apply.  Hiring that is so problematical for command and control groups is a breeze for trust and inspire groups.

Conclusion 

You do not need to continue in the downward spiral with resources.  Get a good coach and change the way you lead.  You will find that life is kinder to you. It is possible to thrive in these times, but not if you refuse to change.

Bob Whipple, MBA, CPTD, is a consultant, trainer, speaker, and author in the areas of leadership and trust.  He is the author of: The Trust Factor: Advanced Leadership for Professionals, Understanding E-Body Language: Building Trust Online, and Leading with Trust is Like Sailing Downwind.  Bob has many years as a senior executive with a Fortune 500 Company and with non-profit organizations


Leadership Barometer 177 Your Personal Plan

December 28, 2022

For the past 30 years, I have advocated that every professional, and especially every leader, have a personal plan. Run your life based on a personal plan, and you will make twice the progress than if you didn’t.

The format for the plan can take many different forms based on your personal preference. I will share the format I like to use here. It works well for me, but you may prefer different elements based on your circumstances.

The process to create my Personal Plan

The process I use to generate the detailed material for my plan is documented in an article entitled Renewal. The article was written in 2010. I do the process every year on New Year’s Eve. It takes me most of the day to do it, and the product is a 60+ page PowerPoint file. The various sections are too personal to share with others. They are also way too complex, so I create a one-page summary that I call my “Framework.”

The Framework contains the major elements of my personal plan for the year.  The sections include my purpose, vision, mission, values, and behaviors on one side. On the other side, I show my key strategies, tactics, and measures. I make several copies on heavy-weight paper and laminate them.

Advantages of a personal plan 

Having a documented personal plan gives me several advantages.  One key benefit is that the vicissitudes of life will be more like ripples than tidal waves. I am able to accomplish more in a year or two than I would otherwise do in eight years. That is well worth one day a year to focus on my goals and strategy. Besides, it is kind of fun to invest in myself this way.

Another benefit is that I can turn down some potential distractions with confidence. I still have the ability to modify the plan if something major comes along. Most of the time, I follow the route I have chosen. The framework gives me a solid platform from which to work. I am calm and confident that I am doing the right things and making maximum progress.

A third benefit is that I can share my framework with clients and others.  It gives an accurate view of what I am trying to accomplish.  I have used my process with many clients, and it always produces excellent results for them. The process works equally well for companies as it does for individuals.

Sharing access to my format

You can use any format you wish for your plan. In case you want to view the format I use, I will include a link to my template

Feel free to use my format if you wish, or modify it to suit your own situation.

Conclusion

Investing time in creating your personal plan pays off big returns. You will find lower stress and greater success in all your activities.

Bob Whipple, MBA, CPTD, is a consultant, trainer, speaker, and author in the areas of leadership and trust.  He is the author of: The Trust Factor: Advanced Leadership for Professionals, Understanding E-Body Language: Building Trust Online, and Leading with Trust is Like Sailing Downwind.  Bob has many years as a senior executive with a Fortune 500 Company and with non-profit organizations


Leadership Barometer 176 When You Are Wrong

December 22, 2022

When most leaders are in the wrong, they try to rationalize it.  The common myth is that admitting a mistake weakens your reputation.  In reality, the exact opposite is normally the case.

The logic here is compelling, and we all learned it as children. Bad things are sometimes going to happen. Trying to cover them up leads to more severe punishment.

Ways to wiggle

There are dozens of ways leaders try to duck their responsibility. Here are a few examples of common ploys:

  1. Say someone else did it
  2. Pretend it did not happen
  3. Downplay the impact
  4. Indicate you were distracted and did not know
  5. Change the facts so it looks like a win
  6. Shift the discussion to another subject

The sad truth is that the more you try to get out of an embarrassing mistake the lower your credibility will be.

Turn being wrong into an opportunity

The greatest asset a leader has is his or her credibility.  By freely admitting to something you did wrong, you demonstrate integrity and humility.  Those two characteristics go a long way in terms of building trust with people.

Most people are willing to forgive an occasional mistake and give you another chance.

Handled well, a sincere admission and apology makes a huge difference in your reputation. That is true for many, but not all mistakes.  There are two categories of mistakes where admitting it will lower trust in you. 

When admitting you were wrong will lower trust

The first category is repeated mistakes.  Let’s suppose you got the numbers wrong when reporting your group’s performance upward.  Now suppose this is the fourth time you have done that.  See their reaction when you tell your people “Well folks, I did it again.”  Not good!

The second category would be if the mistake had a sinister motive or revealed that you are clueless. For example, suppose you forgot to grant a raise that you promised. If you reveal that you are basically incompetent, you cannot expect a positive reaction in return.

Formula for increasing credibility 

There is a six-part formula for explaining a mistake that will endear yourself to your people.

Part one – Explain what happened as objectively as possible.  Indicate that the outcome is not what you intended or expected.

Part two – Apologize. Indicate your remorse and acknowledge the negative impacts of your gaff.

Part three – Say what you learned from this incident.

Part four – Indicate how you are going to make it right. Give specific steps you intend to perform to reduce the damage.

Part five – Show how you will prevent a recurrence of that kind of thing in the future.

Part six (very important part) – Ask if there are any other ideas on how you can prevent this from happening in the future.

Conclusion

In any enterprise, mistakes are going to happen.  Nobody is perfect.  If you follow the simple advice in this article, it will go a long way toward enhancing trust.  You can turn a negative incident into something powerfully positive for your reputation.

 

Bob Whipple, MBA, CPTD, is a consultant, trainer, speaker, and author in the areas of leadership and trust.  He is the author of: The Trust Factor: Advanced Leadership for Professionals, Understanding E-Body Language: Building Trust Online, and Leading with Trust is Like Sailing Downwind.  Bob has many years as a senior executive with a Fortune 500 Company and with non-profit organizations


Leadership Barometer 175 Employee Value Proposition

December 14, 2022

The Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is a key measure of engagement that leaders need to understand. I wrote about it briefly last year in an article on The Great Resignation. This article will provide a lot more information on EVP and how to optimize it.

EVP is a measure of the appeal of working for your organization. The measure exists in the minds of the employees, and each employee has a unique perspective of the EVP.

Impact of EVP

The impact of EVP is huge.  Companies with high EVP are like magnets for people. They can attract the best people, and people tend to stay with the organization.

Employee Value Proposition is a measure of the total experience

The EVP that an employee will feel is the sum of all experiences with the organization. The value starts long before the employee is even hired. It includes the reputation the company has in the community.  It takes into account what friends and family think about the organization. It is impacted by how the future employee is approached by the company.  The measure continues to accrue until long after the employee leaves the organization.

Most impact is during orientation

The EVP becomes evident during the interview process.  The questions that are asked and how the employee responds impact the measure. Once the employee is hired, then the most significant impact on EVP is the orientation process.  This is where most organizations fall short. They shunt the new employee off with a low-level trainer and a stack of procedures.  The hiring manager should personally conduct the onboarding process. This is where the new employee first learns about the culture of the organization.

Describe how your organization’s culture is superior to the competition 

If you cannot clearly articulate how the culture in your company is better than the alternatives, then you will likely lose out on that employee.  A prospective employee will usually go with the organization that is most impressive in terms of culture.

Bigger problem

A bigger problem with EVP is that the employee heard all kinds of impressive things about the culture during the interview. Unfortunately, when the employee arrives at the job, things do not look that way. Any difference between what was communicated in the interview and actual experiences will be a killer. This situation is why so many newly hired people quit during the first week.

How employees feel about their treatment 

EVP is a direct result of the totality of how employees feel about their treatment by peers, supervisors, and especially leaders. It is a reflection of the culture of the organization.

Conclusion

It is critical to attend to new employees when they are first involved with the company. Your culture must reflect what was advertised or you are in trouble. Once an employee is dissatisfied with the EVP it is very difficult to bounce back.

Bob Whipple, MBA, CPTD, is a consultant, trainer, speaker, and author in the areas of leadership and trust.  He is the author of: The Trust Factor: Advanced Leadership for Professionals, Understanding E-Body Language: Building Trust Online, and Leading with Trust is Like Sailing Downwind.  Bob has many years as a senior executive with a Fortune 500 Company and with non-profit organizations


Leadership Barometer 174 Leadership Foundation

December 7, 2022

Just as every building needs a firm foundation, every organization needs a Leadership Foundation. No construction company would think of building any size building without first providing a suitable foundation.  If they eliminated that step, the building would not stand for long. 

Organizations need a Leadership Foundation

For an organization, it is imperative that the key leaders construct a leadership foundation so they can be successful. I will describe my interpretation of the elements of the foundation and tell why each one is critical. I will also provide some examples from personal experience.

The foundation for a building has many interrelated parts.  Likewise, a leadership foundation has different parts that must work together.

Start with values

The values provide the floor of the foundation. All activities and decisions must be consistent with the values, or they will damage the organization. The values must be owned by the entire organization. Make sure to have wide participation in creating the values.

I believe it is best to have a “handful” of values.  A long shopping list of nice things to have may look impressive, but it is hard for people to remember. For values to provide the proper centering, they must be in play at all times.

Aim for four to six strong values.  If they spell out an acronym, that is helpful for people.  For example, in my own organization, the values spell out the word “LIGHT.”  The words are Loyalty, Integrity, Generosity, Honesty, and Trust. Having an acronym that has meaning really helps with memory recall.

Leaders need to emphasize that “we always follow our values, especially when it is difficult or expensive.” That attitude is what gives the values their power. 

Add your purpose

The purpose tells everyone in the organization why they are doing the work. Purpose is often confused with mission.  These two concepts are different.  Here is a classic example to illustrate the difference.  For a quarry, the mission might be to cut rock into slabs.  The purpose could be to build a cathedral.

I used to work at Kodak. Our mission was to make photographic film, but our purpose was to help people preserve memories.

Solidify the mission

The mission statement tells everyone in the organization what we are trying to accomplish.  Keep the mission short and memorable for maximum effect. For example, the GE Mission statement of “We bring good things to life” is an excellent one.

Don’t include a lot of management jargon in the mission statement.  For example, here is an actual mission statement for a company. Can you guess what the company is?

To establish beneficial business relationships with diverse suppliers who share our commitment to customer service, quality and competitive pricing.

Finally, create a vision 

The vision tells everyone where we are going. This statement is the most powerful part of the foundation because it points people in the right direction. The vision is a positive statement of what we are trying to become. Many leaders think a vision statement should be achievable or people will become discouraged.  Personally, I believe an aspirational vision statement is stronger because it provides reach.

For example, the FedEx vision, “Absolutely positively overnight” is a strong vision statement. It is not possible to achieve 100% of the time due to natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, or pandemics. That does not make it a weak vision statement.

Conclusion

Once you have those four elements, you have a solid platform and can start building walls with confidence. You can build your strategic plan based on this strong leadership foundation.

Bob Whipple, MBA, CPTD, is a consultant, trainer, speaker, and author in the areas of leadership and trust.  He is the author of: The Trust Factor: Advanced Leadership for Professionals, Understanding E-Body Language: Building Trust Online, and Leading with Trust is Like Sailing Downwind.  Bob has many years as a senior executive with a Fortune 500 Company and with non-profit organizations


Leadership Barometer 173 Entropy

November 30, 2022

There is a spooky property in thermodynamics called Entropy. In this article, I will reveal my struggle to understand the concept of Entropy. Then, I will relate the mystery to some ideas about trust between people.

My Bachelor’s degree was in Mechanical Engineering, and my Master’s degree was in Chemical Engineering. I took my share of thermodynamics and physics courses in college. The concept of Entropy always puzzled me.  I could deal with the concept mathematically in equations, but I never understood the essence well.

The classic definition

For starters, let’s look at the classic definition. We define Entropy as the degree of disorder, uncertainty, or randomness in a system. I can relate to this concept as my office frequently has a problem with too much “Entropy.”

The scientific definition

Scientifically, Entropy is a thermodynamic quantity representing the unavailability of a system’s thermal energy for conversion into mechanical work. The more disorder or uncertainty, the less work can be done.

This seems like spooky stuff to me. Why would scientists define something as the lack of something else? In trying to measure the Entropy of trust between people, we can see a glimmer of useful meaning.

Defining trust 

Just trying to pin down a single definition of trust is difficult. It is situational, and I have read hundreds of definitions of trust in my life.  Charles Feltman gave a helpful definition as, “choosing to risk making something you value vulnerable to another person’s actions.” In other words, to experience real trust, we give up control.

Mutual trust is also like a lubricant that lowers the amount of stress or effort required to get work done.

People only want to give up control if they trust the people they are giving it to. As we give up control and choose to make something valuable to us vulnerable to other people, trust emerges. That is where I begin to see a parallel between the concepts of Trust and Entropy.

I cannot send you a box full of Entropy, because it is defined by the lack of order.  But I can send you a box of trust by relinquishing my control over you. That conundrum is exactly the problem that many organizations faced during COVID-19.

Trust during COVID 19

Since so many people were working remotely, many managers felt the need to regain control of how employees worked. By clinging desperately to the need for control, they were destroying trust big time. They put in tracking systems or other means to check up on the workers. I believe that is a root cause of the Great Resignation and the concept of quiet quitting today. People don’t like to be treated as if they are untrustworthy.

To increase Entropy, you need to increase the unavailability for energy to be converted to real work.  To increase the level of trust, you need to demonstrate more trust in others. You must be willing to give up more control to increase trust.

Conclusion

I hope these ideas are helpful in some way. I have always found the concept of Entropy to be confusing. You have to think in reverse, and my brain has trouble with that. The concept of trust is easier for me to understand. To increase the amount of trust you experience, learn to give more of it away.

Bob Whipple, MBA, CPTD, is a consultant, trainer, speaker, and author in the areas of leadership and trust.  He is the author of: The Trust Factor: Advanced Leadership for Professionals, Understanding E-Body Language: Building Trust Online, and Leading with Trust is Like Sailing Downwind.  Bob has many years as a senior executive with a Fortune 500 Company and with non-profit organizations


Leadership Barometer 172 Leaders Read Your Hat

November 23, 2022

If you are a leader, sometimes you need to stop and read your hat.

I used to enjoy watching the ALF TV Series. The gags were very creative, as was the furry little creature named ALF. I remember a concept from one episode that has a lot to do with trust. 

In that edition, Willie (ALF’s host) was dealing with a CEO of a large organization.  This leader wore a hat that was inscribed, “Save the Earth!”  The leader was sending a good message with his hat. In reality, he was making decisions to dump toxic waste from his factory into the river. 

Willie tried in vain to have this manager see the hypocrisy of his actions.  Finally, in exasperation, he yelled at the leader, “Read your hat, man.”

Avoid hypocrisy

Reminding leaders when they are not practicing what they preach can build trust. In some situations, it can destroy what trust is already there.  It all depends on how the leader treats the person who points out the hypocrisy.  

If the leader punishes an individual for pointing out a perceived inconsistency, then he is destroying trust. (I am using the male pronoun here, but realize the situation is gender neutral.) He is blocking a vital communication channel in the future. Future messages of potentially wrong behavior will never reach the light of day.

Make sure your actions model your words and reward people who point out when you slip up.

Read your hat more often

It is probably impossible for any leader, no matter how enlightened, to practice this 100% of the time. The person with a gripe may pick a poor time, place, or method to describe the paradox. 

Leaders need to move from a typical low percentage of making people feel glad when they point out a disconnect. In my opinion, most leaders have the patience to do this only 10% of the time. Those who can do it over 70% of the time will create higher trust cultures.

Why many leaders cannot do it consistently 

Every thought and action a leader takes is coming from his brain. The leader is convinced what he is advocating is the right thing to do under the circumstances. If someone suggests a different path, then that person must be wrong according to the leader. Therefore, he punishes the person for being candid. That action destroys trust fast.

Conclusion

The leader is wearing a hat with the words, “I want to build trust” on it. The best method to do it is to reinforce people for their candor. In other words, make the person glad when he or she points out something you have done that seems inconsistent or wrong. Read your hat!

Bob Whipple, MBA, CPTD, is a consultant, trainer, speaker, and author in the areas of leadership and trust.  He is the author of: The Trust Factor: Advanced Leadership for Professionals, Understanding E-Body Language: Building Trust Online, and Leading with Trust is Like Sailing Downwind.  Bob has many years as a senior executive with a Fortune 500 Company and with non-profit organizations


Leadership Barometer 171 Are We There Yet?

November 15, 2022

If you are a parent, you have heard “Are we there yet?” many times from your children. The view from the back seat of a car in a car seat is severely limited.  It is boring just sitting there, and the child anticipates the fun we will have upon arrival. The same frustration occurs in organizations that are pursuing a better culture.

Obtaining a state of high trust is a long journey and we never reach a state of perfection.

Painting a picture of the future 

Leaders have the responsibility to model a better existence for their organization. A vision of a smooth-running organization with no conflict is highly appealing.  Leaders frequently talk about a culture of high trust. Many actions move us in the direction of higher trust, but it seems we never fully reach the destination.

Culture requires constant investment 

Culture at work is a race with no finish line.  If you ask, “Are we there yet?” the answer will always be “no.”  There are always further investments that we can make.  Obtaining maximum trust is a great goal but do not think you can ever reach it.  There is always more that you can do.

Likewise, it is the mindset to keep investing in a culture of trust that makes it so powerful. In “Lead the Field” Earl Nightingale observed that true success is in the journey rather than the destination.

Similar to love

In a family situation, we must always invest in love. We never reach a state of perfection. I believe the real power of love is in the continual investment in sharing it. As we strive to deepen our love and affection for each other, we enable excellence. We should never take our foot off the gas because we have achieved love.  Keep improving!

In our organization, are we there yet? 

We never arrive at perfection, but that does not make the journey any less rewarding. The more trust we can build in an organization, the more benefits will accrue. I have studied organizational trust for decades.  I have written four books on the topic. My own observation is that the productivity multiplier of high trust versus low trust is two to five times. What organization would not welcome that level of forward momentum?

In addition, trust is the best antidote for the “quiet quitting” phenomenon many organizations are experiencing recently. For many organizations, the lack of a culture of trust is proving to be fatal. Do not let your organization fail because of low trust.

Conclusion

When it comes to building a culture of trust, we should never ask, “Are we there yet?”  Rather, we should ask “what more can we do to invest even more in our culture?” Doing that will provide the greatest possible rewards.

 

Bob Whipple, MBA, CPTD, is a consultant, trainer, speaker, and author in the areas of leadership and trust.  He is the author of: The Trust Factor: Advanced Leadership for Professionals, Understanding E-Body Language: Building Trust Online, and Leading with Trust is Like Sailing Downwind.  Bob has many years as a senior executive with a Fortune 500 Company and with non-profit organizations


Leadership Barometer 170 In the Trenches

November 8, 2022

Military historians know that the view from “in the trenches” is far different from the master strategy war room. This article will contrast the two views of a proposed activity and offer some advice for organization leaders. The result is a better chance for a successful venture.

In the trenches is not fun

The trench is a long hole in the ground constructed to protect soldiers. The entire body is protected from the bullets flying above.  Living and working in a trench is incredibly frustrating.

First of all, life in a trench is not pleasant at all.  The atmosphere is wet and cold all the time. You often have to stand knee-deep in mud.  Mobility is severely limited.  Communication with the rest of the company becomes more difficult. You only interface visually with a few of your compatriots.

Meals are the bare minimum and usually not hot.  You have a very difficult time obtaining the raw materials to do your job (bullets).

If you stick your head out of the trench in order to assess what is happening, you stand a good chance of having it blown off. You may end up dead in the mud like your buddy next to you.

Contrast with the War Room

In the war room, the generals are plotting the next phase of the battle. The room is warm and well-lit. The generals eat hot food off clean plates.  They can even enjoy a cocktail or two.

They spend their time talking about the strategy of battle. Often they will focus attention on maps of the area with small models of tanks and artillery. They push these pieces around the map with long sticks like in a chess game. In more recent times the maps are on computer screens with the battle materials in simulations. It is not a bad life at all in the War Room.  The generals are also financially compensated better than the troops.

Now let’s take this contrast and describe the situation for an organization. There are many parallels to discuss. 

Organizational trenches

The shop floor is the trench for workers in a company.  It is noisy and often smelly and dirty as the product gets mass-produced on huge machines.  One advantage organizations have over the military trenches is that you rarely get your feet wet. However, the atmosphere can hardly be described as pleasant.

You may not get your head shot off, but you might have an encounter with a part of the process that goes out of control.  It can actually be dangerous in certain circumstances.

In a non-production environment, you may be working from home with no one in your trench except you.

Leaders mostly stay in the War Room 

The leaders usually remain in the offices and conference rooms. Conditions are much more favorable. They can sit and drink coffee while listening to presentations about how they will overtake the competition. They spend their time strategizing about the next product introduction.

Leaders often make substantially more money than workers while enjoying the perks of their position.

Really good leaders break this cycle

Great leaders spend significant time out of the office and conference room. They actually get down in the trench with the workers in order to experience what they are doing.  This habit gives excellent leaders more empathy for the workers, and they respond by being more engaged.

Conclusion 

Don’t be a general in the War Room.  Take the time to be out on the production floor with your workers.  You will find things go a lot better when you do.

Bob Whipple, MBA, CPTD, is a consultant, trainer, speaker, and author in the areas of leadership and trust.  He is the author of: The Trust Factor: Advanced Leadership for Professionals, Understanding E-Body Language: Building Trust Online, and Leading with Trust is Like Sailing Downwind.  Bob has many years as a senior executive with a Fortune 500 Company and with non-profit organizations


Leadership Barometer 169 Temporary Assignments

November 1, 2022

Organizations use temporary assignments for a variety of reasons. These assignments are usually loosely controlled activities of convenience.

Sometimes temporary assignments are for a specific project. An example is to serve on a transition team during a merger or acquisition. 

Many organizations use temporary assignments as a way to enhance the skills of an individual. They are also used to test the person in different ways prior to a promotion.

There is a wide variety of temporary assignments

Temporary assignments can be delightful opportunities to pick up new knowledge and shine in a different way. Most businesses are becoming more global.  Assignments in a different country give rising executives a convenient way to become more sensitive to cultural differences. 

Temporary assignment in a merger or acquisition

In a merger or acquisition process, there are often numerous temporary assignments because conditions are changing dramatically. It is important to have some people pulled out of the daily business decisions. They need to focus on the integration effort. In the steady state, these design and policy-making positions will no longer exist. During the transition, there may be numerous people in temporary slots.

The science of making temporary assignments work well is rather eclectic, and the track record of success is spotty.  This paper deals with some of the problems that can occur. It includes several ideas that can help improve the probability of success.

Ten typical problems with temporary assignments 

  1. Poorly defined position – Sometimes leaders make the assignment in haste. The temporary position is ill-defined. The cure is to take the time to consider at least a partial list of duties that transfer with the individual. Make the assignment one that includes a real challenge, along with the authority to make professional decisions.
  2. Inadequate facilities – Many temporary assignments require people to perform in ad hoc project teams. Finding a central location with the proper facilities in which to do the work is a typical challenge. For some period of time, individuals may have to work out of hotel rooms or sparsely-equipped community gathering places.  
  3. Inconvenient location – Often the need requires an individual to live in a different city and fly home on weekends for months. Sometimes it is possible to arrange temporary housing for the person. This is a typical scenario for expatriates.
  4. Lack of Authority – Roles of a temporary assignment are transitory by definition. Individuals often feel a lack of authority at a time when they must assume greater responsibility. The antidote here is to give decision rights to the individual on the assignment. Also, be sure to back up this person’s decisions and actions publicly.
  5. Bad Personal Chemistry – An individual doing a temporary assignment is often entering a society with little knowledge of people, customs, and culture. The exact reason for this person coming in may be unknown. An individual must establish new relationships from a position of distrust. The antidote here is simple. Whoever arranged for a temporary assignment owes the person being moved a good introduction. It includes an adequate rationale and an expectation of fair play.
  6. Sense of futility – Some people may assume the job is just a placeholder. Assure the individual that it is due to this person’s worth that he or she was selected. There will be a good job at the end of the ordeal. Actually, people on the integration team have a natural advantage. They help invent the structure and rules for the merged entity.
  7. Burnout – There are just not enough resources to cover everything. Both the ongoing business resources and the integration team are stretched to the limit. It is easier for the ongoing business to stretch. Some people from lower levels can step up to temporary management positions to cover. For the transition team, life is more difficult. There are literally thousands of details to consider. The work is endless, critical, urgent, and highly emotional in nature. Coupled with living or working out of temporary housing, it causes many people in these assignments to burn out. For this reason, senior managers need to provide some modicum of work-life balance or “R&R breaks.”  
  8. Guilt or sense of punishment – Some individuals will over-analyze the nature of a temporary move and feel a sense of failure. They wonder if this is a signal from top management that there is a serious issue. To prevent unwarranted worry, top managers need to be transparent and share the true reason for a temporary assignment. If there are issues, then the individual is due an explanation. Give the person a chance to mitigate the damage to his or her reputation.
  9. Squishy Return Arrangements – Often a person on a temporary assignment has no visibility to his or her return path. Will there be a good job at the end of the assignment? When will the assignment end? Was this little adventure good or bad for the person’s ultimate career? Have frequent communications with the remote individual. Show appreciation for the service and assure the individual will have a viable return path.
  10. The pasture – Unfortunately, some groups use a series of temporary assignments to encourage an underperforming individual to leave. The jobs have marginal value, yet keeping the person on organizational life support seems kinder than pulling the plug. People who are going out to pasture are usually well aware of the intent. Many upper managers hope it will cause the person to quit and leave. Unfortunately, in a lot of cases, it causes quiet quitting. Here again, the antidote is candor and transparency. Let the individual know the truth so he or she can make appropriate choices rather than guess.

Conclusion

These are just 10 of the common issues with temporary assignments. They include how upper management can reduce the stress and pain.  Properly managed, temporary assignments can be invigorating and helpful to both the individual and the organization. If done poorly or without care for the individual, they can be a real problem.

For additional information on how temporary assignments impact creativity, check out this article by Philipp Cornelius. “How Temporary Assignments Boost Innovation.”

Bob Whipple, MBA, CPTD, is a consultant, trainer, speaker, and author in the areas of leadership and trust.  He is the author of: The Trust Factor: Advanced Leadership for Professionals, Understanding E-Body Language: Building Trust Online, and Leading with Trust is Like Sailing Downwind.  Bob has many years as a senior executive with a Fortune 500 Company and with non-profit organizations