360-degrees of mediocrity

Found this piece, entitled, Playing to our strengths in this morning's Globe and Mail. The author is an executive coach -- not the high-priced kind that calls some of the money shots from an expensive box overlooking the game, but the wayward "orgy-b" type trying to convince organizations and their employees that they can be all they can be, but I digress -- who has prepared a little item that probably hits home for a few of my loyal readers. Here's an example from the text

If you managed a hockey team, would you put the goalie on left wing? Would you ask Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong to go back from the front to fetch water for his cycling team? Would you fix Tiger Woods' swing because it's not what other golfers have used?

Of course not. You're going to put your best team members in the place where you can use their particular skills and let each apply their style and strengths to your advantage.

But if it's so darn obvious, why try to force employees into positions they can't play or change their style to conform with what you've always used? Why look at what's wrong with them instead of what's right with them?

It's managing for mediocrity and the results speak for themselves: stress and burnout, boring and bland corporate people who look over their shoulders as they speak.

The article's a nice little warm pick-me-up for those of you churning your way through and fretting about the annual review process.

Posted by Grayson at January 30, 2004 07:52 AM