Don't Be Dragged Down

In the world of work – in the office environment – you are judged not just by how good you are and what you do, but by how good and how effective those around you are.

It is unfair maybe, unjust perhaps, but inevitable.

If you are in a winning team you catch some of the glory however small you own role has been. If you are in a losing team you are tarred with the losers’ brush, no matter how excellent your own performance has been.

Those outside the confines of the team inevitably see the wider picture and not the details. They inevitably judge each member of a team to some degree based on their perception of the whole group.

And for you as an individual, however good you are, if you are in a losing team this can be bad news.

Bad news if the person making the judgement is your boss.

Bad news if the person making the judgement is the head of another department in which you would like to work.

Bad news when the time comes to select people for promotion.

Bad news when bonuses are decided.

You may be able to survive one failed project or one late delivery. You may be able to survive two. But more than that and you will be marked out as a loser. You won’t have anything good to show on your record. You won’t even be able to move. You will be stuck. As time goes on you will find yourself assigned to the less important projects, to the least critical jobs. You will never have a way out or a chance to shine and show your true worth.

So watch out.

Hitch your wagon to a rising star. Look for the dynamic leaders and try to join their teams. Go where you will be given responsibility and the chance to shine. Ask to be part of progressive and active work groups. Distance yourself from the lethargic and lazy and time-serving as fast as you can.

And if you are the boss - if you are in charge of an under performing team - it is doubly important to act. You have not only your future at stake but that of your staff. It is your responsibility to reform your team and its members.

You may need to cajole, enthuse, and generally push them. You may need to provide training. You may need to make clear your aims and goals. And at the end of the day you may need to get rid of someone. You may need to move them to a better suited job, or even out of the company altogether.

You cannot afford to be dragged down by under performers in your team. You will be judged on your team’s performance. You won’t be given credit for carrying passengers. Your best staff will feel unfairly associated with the worst and will seek to go elsewhere, and eventually you will be left with just the worst. You will be left with just the bad staff, the bad projects, the unimportant work. You will have run into the buffers.

So remember, you will be judged to some degree by the performance of others. Make sure that those others are on the up, and are not going down dragging you with them.