Patience is a virtue, so we are told. As a manager or leader, you are in a rough spot. How much patience with an individual should you have? Is it OK to let them fail? How do you protect your customer relationships while showing patience with your employee if it means there can be mistakes made?
I have no specific answer, but I do have one insight. Consider your expectation of time--are you expecting your employee to immediately thank you or acknowledge their shortcoming? I've found that most people know if they are falling short and also know they are being helped, but many of them may take a long time to show they get it. A leader may quickly assume that since there is no immediate feedback, the person has little chance of success.
So, it may be smart to bite your tongue and wait a little longer to see "proof" there is progress, that the person actually is learning and growing.
Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
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As a professional who works in the Fort Wayne, IN area, I have often asked this question of my employees. I know in my career path, I failed countless times and improved on each misstep. I would not be who I am as professional or a person without the failures in my life. At the same time, however, you can't screw up forever. Other people depend on you as well, so if someone screws up all of the time, this could cause your business to suffer. I think it should be judged on a case by case basis, but thank you for the insight.
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