‘Tis the season of All Hallows’ Eve, so why not get into the SPIRIT with some leadership tips on managing Ghouls, Ghosts and Goblins – the SPOOKIEST of your employees!
First, some definitions (with a little help from Merriam-Webster):
- “Ghoul” comes from the Arabic word ghūl, derived from the verb that means “to seize,” and originally meant “a legendary evil being held to rob graves and feed on corpses.”
- Ghouls are employees who take credit for other’s ideas, steal the limelight, seize every opportunity to promote themselves at the expense of others, and feed on making others look stupid.
- “Ghost”, referring to the most common meaning today, is “a disembodied soul”.
- Ghosts are your employees who are almost not even there when they appear at work. They are disengaged or unmotivated, tend to underperform or do the bare minimum, stay below the radar, lack initiative, and it seems they are only at work for a paycheck.
- “Goblin” refers to “an ugly or grotesque spirit sometimes conceived as evil and malicious and sometimes as merely playful and mischievous.” The playfulness of goblin probably goes back to its roots in the Greek word meaning “rogue.”
- Goblins are employees who tend to make a lot of sarcastic comments, poke fun and belittle others (but it was “just a joke” and those others should “lighten up”), don’t consistently follow the rules, cut corners, and are difficult for their teammates to trust because of their unpredictability.
Do any of these descriptions sound familiar? So, how does one go about managing Ghouls, Ghosts and Goblins in their midst? Here are a few tips:
Tip #1: Remember that this person is, in fact, a HUMAN.
When we subconsciously or consciously demonize or villainize an employee, we will tend to treat them as such. What is the story you are making up about this person? What assumptions are you making about them? The Crucial Conversations folks suggest asking the question, “Why would a reasonable, rational, decent person do this?” By asking yourself this question, you can begin to recognize that there are any number of reasons why your employee might be acting in a particular way.
Tip #2: Engage your employee in a conversation.
Perhaps they are unaware of how their behavior is impacting you or others. Share with them what you have observed about their behavior. Be as specific as possible. Describe when and where you observed them, and the impact their behavior is having on you and others. Ask them about their intent. Try to understand where they are coming from. If their intent is pure, then you can coach them on their approach to improve their impact. If their intent is to actually cause harm, then you can switch to a disciplinary conversation to address their behavior. However the conversation goes, you have learned something about your employee and your employee has learned something about your expectations.
Tip #3: Document your observations and conversations.
Email yourself a summary of the discussion or make a hard copy or electronic note to save in your employee’s file. Include the date, time, and what was discussed. When collected over time, these notes can begin to tell the story of your employee’s performance – and clue you in on whether the employee made adjustments to improve their performance, or whether they have demonstrated an ongoing pattern of undesirable behavior.
Managing Ghouls, Ghosts and Goblins doesn’t have to be SPOOKY after all! Want some help addressing one of yours? Give me a call!
