Timeout for Leadership-your one-minute leadership idea

Tip Sheet #35

Progress Stoppers

In a recent interview I heard Bill Parcells refer to some players as progress stoppers.  What a descriptive phrase.  I wish I had thought of that because I have worked with many progress stoppers in my career.  I am sure that you have had similar experiences.  I finally have a name for them besides “pains in the butt.”

For me, these progress stoppers lurked behind every corner in my school.  You may not have seen them but you knew they were there.  You could feel them and sense them.  And they tended to leave their fingerprints on any new project.  Most times they tended to use guerilla warfare tactics to sabotage any of your initiatives.  And this style of warfare, made them all the more difficult to combat.

So, what can you do about these people?  I would:

• Identify and recognize them—you must know who they are and more importantly understand their sphere of influence.
• Spend additional time individually communicating with them—show them how they are important pieces of the overall picture of the project.
• Be extra transparent—prove that you do not have a hidden agenda
• Solicit their ideas as how to make the project work.
• Give them a key assignment in the project.
• Continually check in with them to ensure that they have not veered off course and they are still on board.
• Provide positive feedback and public praise for their work and commitment to the project.
• Make a special effort to show gratitude.

The aforementioned list makes the assumption that you are able to get that person on board.  But what if you can’t?

• You need to isolate the individual ASAP to help ensure that their progress stopper expertise is not shared with other people.
• Never give them a public forum to draw others into their orbit.
• Publicly move the project forward. This sends a message that regardless of their behavior, the school is moving forward.
• Think about the benefits of a conversation with the person seeking to come to some sort of truce. Some people are against everything.  Some may be against you personally.  Try to craft some sort of deal where you will recognize and respect this person’s opinion and in return attempt to have them ensure that they will not seek to bring others onto their team.  If you can craft this type of bargain, you come out a winner.
• If all else fails leave the person alone at the starting gate. Let your energy and enthusiasm win the day.  Keep them on the outside looking in.  Remember that isolation is a lonely place, even for the progress stopper.

Also, always remember that if this is an ongoing dance with you and the progress stopper, perhaps the school is not big enough for the both of you.  I know that Bill Parcells would have no trouble cutting from his team the persistent progress stopper. Would you?  Could you?