We love organizations that hold to tradition˳ Companies that keep people in place are often admired˳ Supervisors and team leaders who stand behind their charges no matter what, through thick and thin, are seen as making moving and necessary commitments to others˳ It’s all good, say those on the team˳
Or do they?
Sacred cows are found in many organizations: it could be the cousin of the boss who keeps their job no matter what they do (or don’t do) or the employee who has been with the company since it was founded back in 1921 and continues to doter around the office, marveling at all that new technology˳ Or it could be the organization maintains a historical obligation to keep everyone on board, pledging to “work with them” to improve performance˳ Unfortunately, all of these situations affect someone else˳
What is missing, of course, is accountability˳
Leaders must realize that the days of do-as-I-say-and- not-as-I-do are over˳ The workplace is too hectic and too much is at stake to maintain Sacred Cows˳ In the first place, there is the matter of resources˳ Second, keeping under-performing Sacred Cows sends a clear message that personality is more important than performance˳ Truth is, such people affect the emotional health of everyone in the company˳ Here are some tips on how to change such situations˳
o Point Out Possibilities˳ Rather than tolerate these seemingly untouchable employees, point out how things could improve with their replacement or reallocation of their resources˳
o Get Hooked on a Feeling˳ Tell those in command that maintaining Sacred Cows affects how everyone feels about the company˳ Feelings have a direct impact on drive, desire and future success˳
o Clearly State: This is Not Personal˳ Getting rid of any employee should be a business decision based on how their behavior affects the company˳ It has nothing to do with how beloved they are on the first floor˳ It has to do with how they affect productivity, morale, sales: you know–business˳
o Paint the Real Picture of Futility˳ Provide clear evidence of how the organization is not moving forward because of an insistence on keeping toxic people in place˳ The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result˳ Claiming you will achieve new goals while keeping someone who contributes little to organizational success is a contradiction in terms˳
Point is, people easily recognize a logjam in the river and they equally see whether someone is going to do something about it or not˳ Leading others is hard work and sometimes people get their feelings hurt˳ But it is better to focus on those actually capable of driving the company or organization forward than those who are holding it back˳
Source by https://ezinearticles˳com/?Dealing-With-Sacred-Cows-in-Your-Organization&id=3358181
