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Provide Challenge and Support

YOU HAVE HEARD these terms before. However, it is important to step back and think of the level of challenge and support each of those working for you has. Do some team members feel overwhelmed and undersupported? Are others supported, but not necessarily challenged? In our experience, we have found that, for each person, this invisible line is different. One size does not fit all, because each of us is unique (e.g., work ethic, stamina, level of intelligence, and personality). Some of these differences are “nature” (inherent in our personalities) while others are “nurture” (based on our life experiences and environment).

When people try to manage with a one-size-fits-all approach, they simply cannot get the best out of each individual. It is much more complicated than that. Challenging experiences help individuals develop and grow. They push people out of their comfort zones and into new places. We call this “the edge.” You know you are at your edge when you have that nervous feeling in your stomach, a feeling of uncertainty as to how things will turn out. For some, this may be public speaking; for others, it may be a deadline or a sales goal. Along with challenge, a supportive working environment develops trust and lets people know that they will be safe when they are placed in situations outside their comfort zones. Few people take risks in an environment where they don’t feel supported. Have you ever worked in a place like that?

Applying this concept to organizations specifically, Buckingham and Coffman demonstrated that when people get a new job they are typically most excited about the organization, but they leave because of a lousy boss.⁷ Think about it. When you get a new job, most of the conversations revolve around the role and the organization. You might have mentioned a little about your boss (if you met her during the interviewing process). However, when you left the position, you likely spoke less about the organization and more about your boss.

Again, people leave organizations because of bad bosses. In their book The High Impact Leader, the authors suggest that the latest research indicates leaders who display and develop confidence, optimism, hope, and resiliency in others are effective in their leadership roles.⁸ Do you do this for those around you? Or are you a disruptive and uncivil leader who leads with toxic behaviors, as described in Kusy and Holloway’s book Toxic Workplace! Managing Toxic Personalities and Their Systems of Power?⁹