Leading difficult people: Slumped Susan
ByHere’s a truth that I’ve believed for a long time: Leadership is influence. Nothing more, nothing less. If a leader has no one following, he’s only taking a walk.
Of course, not everyone is easy to influence. Some followers are difficult to connect with. Last week we talked about the art of influencing difficult people, with a focus on Fearful Fred. With Fred, the goal was to get him started, to go from no momentum to sustained growth.
But what happens when a follower who had a great deal of momentum begins to fall behind? What does a leader do when this follower stumbles or stops altogether?
Let me introduce you to Slumped Susan. This is the follower who was a good performer, someone who got results and approached her tasks with enthusiasm. But somewhere on the journey, she fell off the tracks. Now, with no momentum or confidence, she’s barely moving.
Just like last week’s Fearful Fred, leading Slumped Susan requires you to understand her, be willing to listen, and give her the tools to grow. If Susan believes that you support and believe in her, she’ll be more likely to start moving forward again.
Understanding Slumped Susan:
- Attitude: Depression
- Motivated by: Coaching
- Strength: Past Success
- Weakness: Pessimism
Listening to Slumped Susan:
- Privately sit down and discuss her slump.
- Let her talk about the good old days.
- List what she did when things went bad.
- List what she did when things went well.
- If she desires to change, develop a game plan.
Leading Slumped Susan:
- Remove her from others while she’s in the slump.
- Reprioritize her workload.
- Remain with her as much as possible.
- Require her to do what is right, not what she wants to do.
- Remember to encourage her as much as possible.
Growth program:
Read The Winning Attitude together
Are you a Slumped Susan? Or do you lead one? With coaching and positive attention from the leader, Susan can regain her confidence and begin to shine again.
Next time: Excited Eddie
I think this is an excellent assesment of Slumped Susan I have felt that way for a while, it’s much better now and now that I feel much better and have gone through that. I feel in turn it is my duty to help others in the same boat. Thank you for sharing. I am sure to pick up a copy of that book.
The most important part in the above blog post is about engaging ‘slumped Susan’ in coaching. Talk with her. One of the things that Jack Welch emphasizes is the importance of candor- “Fight desperately to get how people really feel about things on the table”. He’s right. Working with Susan also involves an element of candor. Addressing the problem together will help solve it.
Thanks for the post.
About Slumped Susan Coaching is indeed a vital part. But what about Listening by that I mean connecting. There is a lot of truth and profound wisdom in your book “Everyone Communicates Few Connect.”
Connecting really is a difference maker. When a person is Actively Listening it says so much to the other person.
What then happens when there is no one to recognize Slumped Susan, and there is no one to help her? Is she going to fall with no hand to guide her?
What a great article. It can be very challenging at times motivating people who are in a slump — and that goes double when we are the one in the slump. Thanks again for your wisdom and insights.
Best Regards
Thank you for your valuable advice! I find it highly challenging to get someone out of a slump especially once you’ve seen them move around literally ” dragging” their feet. This tends to challenge my patience. Thank you for providing structures and advice worth trying! Much appreciated
Thanks John:
This is very challenging.
Amazing! This is a great reflection of myself, and what I need to do. Thank you John.
Perhaps, Slumped Susan is facing trasition of her understanding of herself and the world at large, or it could probably be due to situational crisis of some kind. These are not minor incidences, to “just listen to” and patronize her with platitudes. Change doesn’t necessarily mean that she needs to “go back” to her former way of thinking, behaving or responding.
Isolation only produces an indoctrination of some kind, as “the coach” is to guide and guard what she “consumes”. The coach is to interpret and defend “slumped Susan’ from things that might be conflicting to “the coach’s wisdom”! This is inhibiting her right to choose what she reads and thinks. It is conforming to the “coach’s” “frame”, instead of a self chosen frame.
No one can enforce behavior of one kind or another, unless it is illegal. Susan’s success must depend on her own goals, desires and focus, and ultimately, not another’s.
Dr Maxwell, your impact is the max. You’ve polished the leader in me. Thank you. @ angie. What ever slumped susan’s going thru can only come forth by listening. And i think talkin about her being forced into a behavioral mold is totally far from the point here-this article is to guide leaders to better handle slumps like susan or dont you think? Every guide a leader gives is a suggestion, the final cal lies wit d follower. And i guess you mistook the “quarantine” approach for isolation. Attitudes can be contagious remember? Just like trying to save a drowning man. Maybe you should give a second look at the article, and perhaps you’ll see more light in John’s words.
Thank you john for such good post i think the leader should help susan to get out from slump by her self we can not motivate if the same case then who motivate the leaders we can help them so that they can motivate themselves. Same can we apply here?
I think the beauty of this post hinges on the fact that it focuses more on the led than the leader but with the ultimate aim of equipping leaders to be more effective in dealing with the people they lead. Thanks a lot John for the wealth of knowledge.