Chapter 9 Getting Back on Track 143
Playing Hardball
When people resist us, it can bring out the worst in us. A knee-jerk reaction is triggered and we take charge in a not-too-pretty manner. We threaten, demand, fire, replace people, humiliate, and then we get nasty!
My Suggestion: Reread the section on working with knee-jerk reactions in chapter 4. If you are going to emulate a tyrant, do it as a conscious decision and not as a knee-jerk reaction. There is an easy way to tell the difference. If you have considered the unintended consequences of going ballistic and you still want to use that tactic, it’s probably not a knee-jerk reaction. Personally, I’d still advise against that approach. Strong tactics can backfire and create bad blood for future changes. It also sends the message that when there’s a problem your first response will be to take back control from others.
Grabbing at the First Bone
Strong resistance isn’t pretty. It brings out Level 2 feelings of being attacked and threatened. As a leader, you will probably find yourself trying to keep your knee-jerk reactions at bay. So, when you get something—anything— that looks like it might be the reason people are resisting, you jump on it just to ease the tension. And you go about fixing that problem. But later you learn that you fixed the wrong problem.
My Suggestion: Keep looking to make sure you’ve learned the real reasons why things have slowed to a halt. This won’t be easy, but it will be far better than fixing an insignificant issue.
Pick up the Signs
Yogi Berra once said, “You can observe a lot just by watching.” Once you know what to look for, you begin to see the many faces of resistance. That’s the first step. Once you see it, you can address it. You might want to review the ways to spot resistance that are covered in chapter 3: