Business Performance Brief: Symptom or Source

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Video Script:

Inspiring Employee Motivation through Participative

Leadership.

Welcome I'm Dr. Steve Monroe, your host and advisor

for business performance brief.

At Monroe Business Performance Group we found a

need to provide insight into better workplace

performance through short informational videos like

this one. Today's topic is employee problem, symptom

or source. I want to start with a fictional story to help

explore our topic.

You're a manager in a large warehouse with several

employees.

Some days it feels a lot like herding cats.

The two employees having a verbal fight on the

warehouse floor makes this task even more

complicated, maybe even miserable.

Someone did something that the other didn't like

creating conflict,

The first few days weren't that bad, slight verbal jab

here, quick insult there. However, now comes day three

– it appears these two are getting close to trading

blows.

Have an actual fight. You knew you should have

approached these two early on when you first became

aware of the conflict - you didn't - look where you are

now. You do what you should have done when you first

heard the conflict occur.

You call both employees back into your office, and you

ask the simplest of questions.

So it appears the two of you are having an issue - care

to share?

Employee number one says employee number two

made a snide remark about employee number one's

forklift driving.

Employee number two responds with - well it's true.

You think to yourself – really?

You listen to the comments and concerns from both

employees.

You then decide what you're hearing is a symptom of a

problem rather than a source of a problem. What's the

difference?

We define symptom for our purposes as an indicator

or a sign - that a problem exists.

For instance, let's use a different example - if your

team has low morale - that's a sign of a problem.

Now, low morale didn't happen by itself, and it’s

certainly not going to take care of itself.

You need to ask yourself - what is the underlying

source of the problem? Why the low morale?

Perhaps the source of low morale might be that the

employees are experiencing heavy overtime, they're

bored, there's pending layoffs - that sort of thing.

Therefore, as demonstrated in this example, the

symptom indicates that there is a problem and, the

problem is the source. You need to dig deep to find

out what that source is.

Let's return to our original story.

As the manager of these two employees - you ask

yourself - is what I'm hearing - employee number one

complaining about employee number two making fun

of their forklift driving - is this a symptom of a

problem or a source of a problem? You decide to find

out.

You excuse employee number two so you can have a

private conversation with employee number one.

The source of the problem - as it turns out - is that

employee number one's going through a divorce. A

tricky bit of business. As you listen to employee #1 tell

their tale regarding their ensuing divorce, - convinced

you found the source of the problem, - you decide this

is an issue way beyond your scope or responsibility.

You ask if you can connect employee number one

with the company's employee assistance program in

hopes of getting them additional help.

That done – based on what you can offer - now you

return to employee number two.

It's none of their business why employee number one

began the verbal altercation. Still you need employee

number two to apologize for their rude comment,

and employee number one needs to apologize for

responding so severely.

Now, what did we learn from this fictional, but realistic

story? If you come across an issue with employees

acting out, or not appearing to be themselves - ask

yourself - is what I’m seeing a symptom of a problem,

or the source of the problem.

Take the time to find out. Some problems you can fix -

some you cannot. Regardless, you can be the leader

and guide for the employee moving them toward a

potential solution in whatever form that takes.

Let's practice identifying the symptom or source.

An employee gets frustrated with a simple task, but then

threatens to quit because they will never get it right. Is

that a symptom or source?

Symptom - they appear to be catastrophizing a simple

task - there must be more to the story. It's time for some

sympathetic one-on-one conversation.

Next, the employee becomes moody following the death

of a parent. Symptom or source?

Source - yeah all you can do here is offer support and

time off for grief.

An employee who is normally highly productive

becomes very unproductive over the course of a few

weeks. Is this a symptom or source of a problem?

Symptom.

A casual and very private conversation might help

determine what the source of the change might be.

Okay. We have time for one more – The employee is

not acting like their normal jovial self following the

hospitalization of a child. Symptom or source?

Source.

No big secret here some support, and time off to be

with their child is necessary for this situation.

All right - I think you got it. Now it's your turn to make

the use of symptom of source decisions on your own.

Well done!

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business performance briefs like this one. Thanks

for watching.