A Different Approach

Over the next few weeks Debbie worked very hard to serve her team members, although she was not always sure how to do so. Even though many of her attempts seemed insignificant, she could sense a change in her approach to her leadership responsibility and possibly even a change in the team. She made a list of her experiences to share with Jeff at their next meeting.

One of her encounters was particularly noteworthy. Charles was still hanging on for dear life. His performance had improved only slightly since his first month. Debbie felt it would probably be only a few months before she would be forced to let him go. She decided to meet with Charles, ask some open-ended questions, and look for ways to serve him.

“Hello, Charles,” Debbie said as she walked into his office.

“To what do I owe this unexpected visit?” Charles asked, somewhat sarcastically.

“I wondered if we could talk for a few minutes.”

“Absolutely. What would you like to talk about?”

Debbie knew she had his full attention. “As we’ve discussed before, I’m concerned about your performance.”

“Yes, I know. You’ve told me.”

“Here’s a question I don’t think I’ve asked: how can I help?”

“That is a different question,” Charles said as he sat up a little straighter in his chair. “I’m not exactly sure how to answer.”

“What do you think your greatest challenge is?” Debbie had her own opinion, but she needed to hear his response.

“Honestly?” Charles let out a deep sigh. “My greatest challenge is dealing with logistics. No matter what I do, I can’t keep our salespeople or our clients satisfied. Maybe I’m just not organized enough for this job. I work hard, but somehow things get mixed up. Our customers might get what they want but not get it when or where they want it. Other times, they don’t even get what they want. I’ve annoyed some clients so much that we’ve lost their business. It’s like my worst nightmare—I’m a project manager who can’t manage projects.”

Debbie could tell from listening to Charles that he really cared and wanted to serve. His intentions were good. His project management skills needed some work.

Debbie thought for a moment. “Okay, Charles, here’s an idea. When I was in your role, I was a good project manager. If you’d like, I’ll work with you for a few days to see where you may be going wrong. I’ll even take a few calls for you so you can watch me, if you think that would help.”

“You’re kidding, aren’t you? You would work side by side with me? Why?”

“I want to do everything I can to help you succeed.”

For the first time that morning, Charles smiled. “Let’s do it! When are you available?”

“I believe I can make time next Thursday and Friday. Would that work for you?”

Charles assured Debbie that he would make it work.

Debbie wasn’t certain, but when the conversation was over, she felt as though she was beginning to understand the idea behind SERVE.

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