| "Too Sensitive Leader: Great Tip for Overcoming | | | | hurt their feelings or to cause them extra stress. |
| Being Too Sensitive" | | | | Additionally, the overly empathizing manager may |
| Leadership requires a degree of sensitivity, but if | | | | see any corrective action as confrontation rather |
| you're too sensitive, there will be problems, not | | | | than influence, and so she does nothing. |
| only for you, but the people you lead. | | | | Since leadership calls for people to be fair to all |
| While every leader needs empathy, if this stands | | | | and to make sure the company's best interests |
| in the way of the mission getting done, many | | | | are being protected, it's important to take an |
| negative repercussions result. | | | | enlightened look at how the manager can reframe |
| Consider for a minute the kinds of activities | | | | this potentially negative situation and turn it around |
| associated with leadership that a manager who | | | | so fairness prevails as the company's interests |
| carries empathy too far will not be able to do or | | | | are being protected. |
| to do well: * Give corrective feedback for | | | | In helping companies develop their leaders, I'm |
| someone who has a negative attitude * Quickly | | | | often asked to give extra coaching to managers |
| and fairly follow company procedures for | | | | who have tremendous potential, but who are |
| disciplinary action * As necessary "coach someone | | | | having struggles with delivering tough news when |
| out the door." | | | | necessary. |
| And these are just a few of the actions required | | | | My goal as "The People Skills Lady" is to help |
| and expected of in managerial positions. | | | | others be "who they are, at their best." |
| While no one (or few people!) actually enjoys | | | | You don't take a person who is sensitive and try |
| giving corrective feedback, think about the | | | | to make them insensitive. That's neither fair nor |
| negative impact if substandard actions and | | | | doable. People are who they are and it's |
| attitudes are allowed to go unchecked: * Team | | | | important, as long as the employee is the right fit, |
| members who are meeting or exceeding | | | | to allow the employee to develop their strengths. |
| expectations begin to feel the manager is playing | | | | The good news is, there is much hope for the |
| favorites by not address the problem employee * | | | | manager who is too sensitive, or who empathizes |
| The rest of the team feels as though they have | | | | too much. |
| to work extra to make up for the person who is | | | | The solution is to shift perspectives. |
| getting away with working less * As a result, | | | | When a manager is protective of the employee |
| morale suffers, and with it, the ability to get the | | | | with sub-par behavior, this manager needs to shift |
| mission accomplished quickly and well is | | | | perspective to the company and remember that |
| compromised. | | | | their primary loyalty is to be sensitive of the |
| The manager who is too sensitive often feels | | | | company's needs |
| justified in not taking action right away when an | | | | Also, it will serve the manager well to be |
| employee fails to work up to standards. | | | | empathetic with the remaining team members |
| Such a manager might like to think that the | | | | who are forced to work above and beyond |
| behavior will correct itself, or she believes that | | | | what's expected of them in order to cover for |
| this is not all that noticeable, and so there's no | | | | work left undone by the substandard job |
| need to call attention to it. | | | | performance of the problem employee. |
| Most often the "too sensitive manager" really | | | | Too sensitive managers don't need to become |
| does care about people and doesn't want to say | | | | hardened, uncaring automatons. They simply need |
| anything to the employee who's falling below | | | | to shift their focus of empathy and sensitivity to |
| standards because the manager doesn't want to | | | | the company and the team. |