As time goes by, most of us tend to get set in our ways. This can be good, and it can also hold us back from making necessary changes.
From a leadership perspective, the word “breakthrough” means a positive change in attitude or behavior that would not have been predicted looking at past behavior. We love breakthroughs!
Recently I observed a breakthrough with one of my clients: There was a team member who was not eager and did not present a professional appearance. We’ll call him Sam. Since Sam’s job involves direct contact with customers, this was a problem.
Fortunately for Sam, his boss cared about him and was a straight shooter. Sue had a conversation with Sam that was direct and respectful. She clearly communicated that he was below standard and she detailed what needed to change if he wanted to remain on the team.
A couple months later, Sue was short-handed, and decided to put Sam in a high-profile assignment and give him another try. Sue’s expectations were low, but much to her surprise, Sam did “fantastic”. His attitude had changed and he presented hiself as a model of professionalism. It was a breakthrough.
Wouldn’t we all like to see more breakthroughs with the people we count on? Like Sue, we need to care and talk straight.
