Will they or won’t they? That can be the question that you ask yourself when you think about a somewhat engaged person. They may have flashes of greatness with streaks of mediocrity. A somewhat engaged person can also test your leadership fortitude more than people are willing to admit. It’s clear that you need to lead and manage disengaged people, but many leaders let somewhat engaged people hang on for longer and accept the drag that it puts on the rest of the team.
Today we’ll look at what makes up a somewhat engaged associate, how to get an understanding of the root of the behaviors, and what to think about as you evaluate their place on the team.
Characteristics of a somewhat engaged person
- They are selective about where they put their energy and focus.
- Put more effort into things that are of interest to them rather than what is important to the team and the customer.
- Delivers what they have to do when there is an oversight on a project or task.
- They do what it takes to get by and can be good at distracting others or diverting attention.
As you think about the characteristics of a somewhat engaged person, it’s always helpful as a leader to get an understanding of why they are only partially engaged in the organization and team. Have they always been inconsistent? Was there a point in time that you saw a significant change in their behavior? (Ex: passed over for a promotion, has a new leader, significant changes and impacts in their personal life)
If you have built trust and rapport with the person, sit down and have an honest conversation with them to get an understanding of what may be driving the behavior. Sometimes a fall in engagement levels is just a cry for help, attention, and care.
What somewhat engaged people do
- They don’t always follow protocol/policy and are willing to take shortcuts.
- They are not consistently present. They may show up late or ask to leave early, without reason.
- They will work on things outside of their area or non-relevant to their primary role and will turn in subpar work.
- They are often resistant to change.
- They require additional oversight to get the job done.
Getting somewhat engaged people to do the work that is expected can be frustrating and challenging. You may need to re-focus them constantly to stay on task and not meander off of the topic. They may not be interested in the work at all and require that you pull in closer with additional follow-up to ensure that the work is being completed and to the standard that you expect.
What somewhat engaged people achieve
- Their work output is inconsistent. The leader likely can’t count on this person to get results.
- They create more work due to the amount of follow-up and clean-up needed afterward.
- They do some parts of the job well and others not. It depends on what interests them.
- They typically have a desire to be recognized for the times that they go above and beyond in their work.
When it comes to achievement in somewhat engaged associates, it’s hit or miss. Couple this with a likelihood of resistance to change and this person can hold the rest of the team back pretty quickly. As you champion change with the team, be sure to clearly articulate the why of the change with this person and lay out clear expectations for the person to work towards. It critical that you follow up on those expectations and ask for the person’s understanding, and agreement to the path forward and give them a chance to ask any questions before they get going.
How somewhat engaged people impact others
- They will push back on others and often don’t get involved to help the team out.
- They aren’t willing to share information with others.
- They will push work to others and let others take the lead on projects and bodies of work.
- People will work around them to get things done.
This is where you and their co-workers feel the impact from someone who is somewhat engaged. If your team was all in the boat together rowing towards victory (Be a rower Show 369) this person either has their paddle out of the water or when they do put it in they aren’t in sync well with others, causing the whole boat to slow down.
Somewhat engaged people are at a crossroads. They can potentially have their engagement levels raised if there is some underlying dissatisfaction that can be resolved or if they are able to work through personal challenges that are dragging them down. Do your best as a leader to help clear a path for them to be successful, while maintaining a high standard. If the role ultimately is not the right fit for them, assist them in finding their right fit elsewhere from the team.
Make a better tomorrow.
-ZH
