The Hero Trap: I’ll Just Fix It Myself
When you are dissatisfied with how something was performed, say so! Don’t fall into the hero trap of doing the work yourself. Work together to produce a better result.
Insight: When you are depending on a teammate's work and are dissatisfied with what you get, what do you do? From my experience, most people hide their dissatisfaction. Rather than working through the issue with their teammate, many people say, "It's easier to just fix the problem myself."
For example, here’s a conversation I recently had with Mark, a product distribution manager:
Mark: “I'm just overwhelmed with work. My team is not performing.”
Me: "Can you give me an example?"
Mark: "Yes. For example, Andrew gave me a presentation that I am delivering tomorrow, and it doesn't have any of the charts I need. So, I have to add the charts myself."
Me: “Have you shared your dissatisfaction with Andrew?”
Mark: “I did once, but nothing changed, and I just don't have time to address these little things. It's easier to just do it myself.”
After much encouragement, mark finally talked with Andrew.
Mark: "I really need to have charts and visuals added to the reports that you send to me. I've mentioned this before, and I'm frustrated that I continue to receive reports without charts."
Andrew: "Mark, this is a surprise to me. You always e-mailed the reports in text format and I assumed that you weren't using the charts, so I stopped putting them in."
Mark: "Oh. Well, I'd really like you to add them in."
Andrew: "No problem. That's easy."
Mark was both surprised and embarrassed. Rather than working with Andrew to address the missing charts, Mark had been avoiding the conversation. Not only did this cause Mark to be bogged down with work that Andrew could have been doing, Mark was also harboring negative assessments and not supporting Andrew's success.
One of the most common reasons team members are overwhelmed is that they do the work themselves rather than addressing the issues and supporting one another. Managers who fall into this trap use about half of the talent on their team, complain that the team isn’t good enough, and do heroic deeds to get the job done. They often think, "I'm saving the day and making it all work out" and see themselves as heroes, but in actuality, they are hurting their team's success. And because they are getting bogged down in doing their team member's work, they are unable to make larger, more strategic contributions to the organization.
Key Action: When you are dissatisfied with how something was performed, say so! Don't fall into the hero trap of doing the work yourself. Work together to produce a better result.
By having a conversation to share your dissatisfaction, you have an opportunity to clarify your needs and help teammates succeed—not only on this project, but on all future projects. Often, team members just do not understand what is expected of them. Sometimes, it may take several conversations to work out the issue, but the conversation will likely improve both the team member's performance and your relationship.
To share your dissatisfaction effectively:
Create a focused, private conversation where you have time to talk through the issue.
Focus on the specific work product, and don't generalize about the team member's performance. What specifically do you need right now that you haven't received?
Be curious, listen, and find out their perceptions of the issue and what challenges they may have faced, including the lack of clearly defined expectations. Acknowledge the challenges and how you may have contributed.
Work together to find a way to succeed—now and in the future.
By addressing the issues and not letting yourself do other people's work, you will develop your team members' skills and build a stronger, more effective team. You will also have the time to make a bigger contribution to the organization.