Success. I Couldn't Do It On My Own
Friday, April 27, 2007People don't promote people they don't like and they won't support them either. Without workplace support, you will not have the opportunity for advancement, stretch assignments or simply, the opportunity to succeed.
I am supported in the workplace and my job is infinitely easier because of this support. I am not revered by any means (darn!) but I do feel that when I have something to say, people listen and when things go south, I am given the benefit of the doubt. I know that I could not do what I do everyday without the support I receive and frankly, I would not even want to try. Some days, it really is the only thing that keeps me from walking right out the back door.
As a leader, when I offer and provide support, I am in it for the long haul. I am not on the first life boat out when there is a problem, nor do I only support the super-stars. When my staff thanks me for my support, I let them know that supporting them is one of the easiest things I do each day. Really. They work hard, they are forthright with information and concerns and they keep me informed. I trust what they tell me and they never let me down.
I will not offer support to any person who refuses to try or is less than truthful: it is both a matter of integrity and practicality. Hey, I need the continued support of others too.
In all, you must be true to yourself. Try as you might, sometimes there just is not a good match between you and others in your organization. No matter what you do, the workplace support you need or the support you are asked to provide is just not coming In these instances, take my advice and find another organization. Do it quickly.
It may not take a village but I am clear I could not do it on my own.
Thank you.
Reader Comments (4)
Great blog you have here!
i love scott's suggestion as seeing your company as a client.
but i admit there are "internal clients" that i've fired before. (and by that, i don't mean terminating an employee, i mean as in "firing a client", which some people refuse to do even if they're losing money on that business.)
i have had managers who were too busy playing politics to do their job, while running things contrary to the company's culture and direction. these same managers might ignore the crys for help from their employees, or repeated coaching sessions on working with their people better. and it's usually that same person who will keep coming to HR to help him clean up his messes when he won't come to us in the first place because "i knew what you'd say and i wanted to do it this way anyway". a person like this, and i've seen at least one in every organization, is usually running on ego and will not listen.
and eventually, i step back and do only what is requested. and usually, i'm not the only person who sees these things in this manager. and generally speaking, it's then only a matter of time before they are no longer in that role.
but even if they stay in that role, i've controlled my involvement and my response and lessened that person's negative impact on my attitude and work.
hope things get better soon for you!
all the best!
deb