The Twilight Zone

Isn’t it interesting how fine the line can be between a management strength and a management weakness. Do you remember the show “The Twilight Zone?” It’s that shadowy place where things could go right, or could go wrong; where things may not be exactly as they seem to be.

In one set of circumstances, an attribute of an executive might be viewed as a positive and valued; and in another set of circumstances that same attribute could be a real problem, significantly affecting their performance and/or judgment.

That doesn’t make selecting the optimal talent any easier, does it? But, if you just ignore this dilemma, your choice of key talent could be a real “crap shoot.”

Please consider:
A person who is excitable usually is high energy, passionate and enthusiastic. But, under pressure, they may be somewhat unstable and even display some anger resulting in others avoiding them.

Someone who is diligent is hard working, with high standards; maybe even self-sacrificing. But they can also be perfectionistic and hard to please. Have you ever worked for someone who is over controlling and micromanaging? I never found that particularly motivating or productive!

How about someone who is dutiful? What a wonderful trait. They are a good team player and considerate. They keep their boss informed. But, in the “shadows” they may turn indecisive, unable to make independent decisions or disagree with the boss.

I think understanding the dynamics of these types of shadows is critical in understanding management failure. It is in the shadows that managers have trouble building a team, forming alliances, gaining support for their vision, values and plans.

The most obvious way to reduce this risk in an organization is to screen out these types of issues in the selection, promotion or succession process. But, these contradictions are extremely difficult to uncover in an interview. It simply takes a process with more insight; a process with validated assessment instruments; a process with effective 360° reference checking; etc.

Does your executive evaluation process for potential or current executives illuminate the shadows? Where is Rod Serling when you need him?