Corporate Untouchables: New VitalSmarts Poll Reveals 93 Percent Work with an 'Untouchable' No One Confronts.PROVO, Utah -- Ashley Howard works with an "untouchable untouchable Former classification of various low-status persons and those outside the Hindu caste system in Indian society. The term Dalit is now used for such people (in preference to Mohandas K. ." He is abrasive, unreliable and dishonest. And yet no one she works with, including her boss, ever deals with his misbehavior. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a new VitalSmarts online research poll, 93 percent work with people who fit this description - employees whose bad behavior or chronic poor performance should make them a target for outplacement out·place·ment n. The process of facilitating a terminated employee's search for a new job by provision of professional services, such as counseling, paid for by the former employer. , yet they get away with just about anything and are accountable for almost nothing. The poll also reveals the high costs of working around "untouchables untouchables: see Harijans. Untouchables lowest caste in India; social outcasts. [Ind. Culture: Brewer Dictionary, 1118] See : Banishment ." The research says this kind of bad behavior damages morale, quality and productivity, and drives away valuable, productive employees. Howard says anytime this colleague enters the room the mood turns icy. "This particular coworker co·work·er or co-work·er n. One who works with another; a fellow worker. treats me and my coworkers abrasively, never follows through on assignments, and takes credit for my ideas," said Howard. "He is untouchable because everyone considers him the 'be-all and end-all' of the office, and our boss requires us to do whatever it takes to support him." This type of behavior has been satirized on popular TV shows like NBC's hit comedy, "The Office." Michael Scott Michael Scott or Mike Scott may be: Novelists:
Joseph Grenny, coauthor of the New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times bestseller "Crucial Confrontations," says the recent survey data reveals a lot about people's methods of obtaining job security. "It seems there are two paths to job security in today's world - you either dazzle daz·zle v. daz·zled, daz·zling, daz·zles v.tr. 1. To dim the vision of, especially to blind with intense light. 2. them with brilliance or baffle them with B.S.," said Grenny. "Folks like Michael Scott and Ashley Howard's coworker are 'corporate untouchables' because people don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. how to deal with these types of employees." The VitalSmarts research findings include: * 94 percent of respondents said the problems caused by the "untouchable" are widely known. Peers, direct reports and even bosses are usually fully aware of what is going on. * Fewer than one in four people confront "untouchable" coworkers about behavior or performance. Instead, they work around them, complain to others or avoid them altogether (see http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5237494). * 91 percent say the problem has continued unaddressed for a year or more. More than half say the problem has continued for four or more years. Grenny says the real problem is not that 'untouchables' exist in organizations; rather the problem is that most people don't know how to approach the issue. And when they do speak up, they complain to their boss rather than approach the problem coworker. Grenny provides the following tips for effectively confronting "untouchable" coworkers: * Communicate respect. Communicating respect in the first 30 seconds helps others feel safe, which will help them listen to you. For example, begin with, "I want to be a loyal friend and a good teammate. I have some concerns and don't want to let them get in the way of our working relationship. Do you have a minute to discuss them?" * Lead with facts. When sharing concerns, don't lead with accusations or judgmental language Judgmental language is a subset of Style over substance fallacy and Red herring fallacies. It employs insultive, compromettant or pejorative language to influence the recipient's judgement. Examples
* Share natural consequences. Motivate others by helping them see the natural consequences of their misbehavior in ways that matter to them. For example, "I've heard you expressing frustration that people aren't friendly to you. I think I know some reasons why and would be willing to share them if you'd like." * Invite dialogue. Remember you are probably partly wrong about how you see things. After sharing your concerns, encourage the other person to share his or hers - and even to show you where you are wrong. Others will be open to your views if they are convinced you're open to theirs. * Hold the boss accountable. If the crucial confrontation fails, and if it's affecting you and others negatively, your next crucial confrontation needs to be with the boss. Use these same steps to help the boss see that he or she needs to do a better job dealing with this errant er·rant adj. 1. Roving, especially in search of adventure: knights errant. 2. Straying from the proper course or standards: errant youngsters. 3. employee. Note to Editor: Joseph Grenny and Ashley Howard are available for interviews. Copies of the book "Crucial Confrontations," as well as full research results, are also available. About VitalSmarts: An innovator in corporate training and organizational performance Organizational performance comprises the actual output or results of an organization as measured against its intended outputs (or goals and objectives). Specialists in many fields are concerned with organizational performance including strategic planners, operations, , VitalSmarts has two training initiatives: Crucial Conversations([R]) and Crucial Confrontations[TM]. Each delivers a powerful set of influence tools that builds teams, enriches relationships and improves end results. The Company has two New York Times bestselling books of the same titles, "Crucial Conversations" and "Crucial Confrontations." VitalSmarts has helped more than 500,000 people worldwide realize quick, hard-hitting results through their award-winning training. www.vitalsmarts.com |
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