Closing Notes on Transforming the Troublesome to the Tremendous

If you have had enough years in your career, it is almost certain that you have at one point played the role of a maverick, cynic, slacker, or diva. Perhaps you have been part of firefighting projects or on projects that were consistently late, often with quality issues. Perhaps people who have worked for you thought you provided too little or sometimes too much guidance, bordering on micromanagement.

I know that at various points I have played those roles. Fortunately, whenever I have been in those roles in the early part of my career, I had excellent leaders who provided me the wisdom, guidance, and sometimes firm direction of how to work toward excellence. I thank those leaders.

It is important to remember that we have most likely been the difficult person before. It does not mean that we ignore the problematic behaviors when they occur. It is helpful to remember that the guidance we have been provided in the past is the guidance we must be able to mindfully provide to others.

This is important. As managers, as leaders, we must never waiver in our obligation to the mission we are engaged in and the group we are leading. Our obligation is to the group as a whole, which means sometimes we must provide tough guidance to those who are hindering the progress of the whole.

To me, we also have an obligation to each of the individuals, including those troublesome ones, to provide guidance that comes from compassion and a willingness to help. I once gave heartfelt advice to an employee. He had a choice to improve or move. He did not choose to improve. I accepted that honesty, and the integrity of our friendship lasted beyond the working relationship. He called me about fifteen years later and said “Okay, Alan, I am ready to work with you to improve on the suggestions you had for me. I get it now.”

Every time that there is a troublesome person or situation, it is an opportunity to help someone grow—and perhaps even ourselves. It is an opportunity to transform the troublesome to the tremendous.

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