If You Want the Job Done Right
By John Putzier
Dear John:
I have hired a real prima donna. His name is Rodney and he is admittedly a creative genius. Before he came here, he was a budding inventor and an entrepreneur. He spent several years on his own, on a product that he developed and had patented, and that appeared to hold the promise of fame and fortune. He also spent those years as a loner, by choice.
In spite of several highly successful businessmen's offers of support, both financial and professional, Rodney just couldn't share his baby with anyone. He not only feared that someone might steal his secret, but also that no one could do things as well as he.
After years of financial ruin, he never really gave up on his invention. But reality finally required that he go back to work for a company. My company! Which appeared to be the perfect compromise; a technology development company that prides itself on repeated successful new product introductions to the market. Innovation, capital and implementation all under one roof!
Being highly self-motivated, Rodney did quite well at first, working diligently on a promising new, proprietary chemical compound. He not only met our deadlines and budget, but did so with aplomb. So what's the problem?
The problem is that Rodney refuses to let anyone else in the innovation chain of command participate in any of it, including the later stages of development, i.e., prototypes, packaging, market research, etc. It doesn't matter that he has no proven expertise or even any accountability for any of these responsibilities.
The same "close to the vest" mentality that sank him as an entrepreneur is haunting him still. He seems to be trapped in the mindset that no one but he is as qualified or capable of taking a project from beginning to end. But this time, it isn't his call.
How can we capitalize on Rodney's innovative brilliance without driving him away? How do we keep control of the process without losing him in the process?
Turfily yours,
Ted
Dear Ted:
Since Rodney is already on the payroll, and you already know he has value, we need to find a way to tap his talent without stifling his motivation. The first and most effective way is to manage the consequences; in this case, money! (compensation, bonuses, incentives)
It may be too late to restructure his base salary (i.e., to reduce it), so we need to find a way to dangle a win-win carrot in front of him, something that we can afford if he meets the objectives, such as a bonus for getting the new product to market by a certain date, cooperating with certain other key members of the team, based on feedback reports and tangible, indisputable measures. This way, he will have no choice but to "let go" and to learn that he is not the only one with a brain and valuable talent.
Simultaneous to this strategy, you should put Rodney through a psychological assessment process. Let's call it personal development…it's less threatening, in which you will learn what you already know, that he is a creative, not an implementer, but he needs to learn it too! He also needs to learn how others can actually help him succeed. Right now, Rodney would rather fail than admit that he cannot do it all.
Ideally, this issue should have been nipped in the bud, i.e., at the point of hire. Not only because it is common for creative and innovative geniuses to also be prima donnas, but also because there are ways to predict and even prevent these behaviors, through psychological testing and profiling.
Granted, it may not change Rodney (or anyone like him), but it does afford a reality check up front as to what to expect, and allows you to structure the job and its compensation, aka consequences, to drive the appropriate behaviors.
For example, some people are creative thinkers like Rodney, while others' strengths may lie in the area of development or advancement of an idea, i.e., taking an idea and turning the concept into a reality, while others are implementers, i.e., taking it to the market and selling it, and so forth.
Very, very few people, even geniuses, can excel at all of these functions because they may lack either the ability or the interest to some degree, thus making someone else more qualified.
Once your team recognizes this reality, they can then see the value, both to them and to the organization, of how a true innovation team can and should be formed. With proper assessment and placement, you can create a truly whole-brained team in which no one feels threatened, but enlightened.
Whole Brainly Yours,
John Putzier
Wizard of Weirdness (WOW)
