The hazards of go-to people
IT managers have a similar faith in their stars. The vast majority of those I’ve worked with over the years speak with reverence and appreciation when they discuss their most trusted staffers. They tell me stories of disasters averted, crises resolved and nearly impossible problems rectified. Without their go-to people, they fear that they wouldn’t be able to deliver what’s expected of their teams.
What’s not to love about the idea Managers who have called on their star performers for a tough job look good to their stakeholders when those stars once again deliver. And they'll look good even if they are generous enough to give all due credit to their go-to people.
And all of that is fine — unless turning to your go-to people becomes standard operating procedure rather than a rarely used approach. As a consultant, I’ve repeatedly had to help clients recognize and overcome the negative fallout of the go-to person habit.
Although most go-to people enjoy being recognized for competence, getting opportunities to learn new things and being granted the honor of being trusted, they do see problems with the role. They may:
In the end, many leave to:
And those who stay often end up spreading discontent among their peers. When go-to people get big heads, managers tolerate their condescending and overbearing behavior toward their peers, which demoralizes all but the select few.
For the staffers who are not the go-to people, things often don’t work out too well either. They can end up in a self-reinforcing cycle of unhappiness and poor performance. When they realize that they are not one of the go-to people they might:
In the end, many leave for better opportunities, or worse yet, stay and spread their discontent to others.
If you want to grow a sustainable and growing team, rely on your go-to people only when you must. There will be occasions when you need to go to your strongest person. Just make sure that everyone else feels like a part of the team and not merely like supporting players for the stars.
Paul Glen is the co-author of The Geek Leader's Handbook and a principal of Leading Geeks, an education and consulting firm devoted to clarifying the murky world of human emotion for people who gravitate toward concrete thinking. You can contact him at info@leadinggeeks.com.