Changing Employee Value

Toxic Ambition

I worked at a company that had 5 levels you could advance through. One man was was a level 1 and after spending some time listening to him, he wanted to be a level 2 and he had a symptom I like to call “Toxic Ambition”.  Meaning, his growth felt so stunted that thinking of obtaining that promotion created this lethal combination of ambition tainted with no hope. Ambition with no hope is nothing. Period. This feeds to complacency and when complacency is left unattended it increases the toxin making it more lethal to the company and it’s innovation. Managers often don’t know how to deal with this, and most of the time it is treated with supplying more toxin to the employee by observing that they shouldn't be given a promotion. The conflict of interests on both sides has begun and gap has widened. There are very effective ways to handle. First, as the manager, lose the attachment of keeping that employee locked without a road map leading to the antidote. You may not feel you are doing that, but in the employee’s eyes its only about the perception and if there is no road-map in place then he is confused with how to get to point X  from point Y and with no clear map, you will miss the mark almost 100% of the time. Here is one solution.

Lose the yearly/quarterly reviews

Did he just say that?!  Yes I did. Reviews come after work has been done and inputs put into the work from the employee. The review is reactive to what the employee has already done and if they are not where they want to be, the toxin seeps in and the employee can not take back what they have already done.  Create the employees you want. Put together a list for the employee with clear goals of what would put them into that promotion. If it sales, and you feel 1 million dollars of sales equates to a promotion, providing you the value from the employee to the company, then detail that out and give it to the employee and then it is in their hands because you have set the terms. You’d be surprised with how eager that makes employees.

Be in control. Make the workplace you envision by moving the obstacles instead of letting them be the Holy Truth.