Managing the Dark Side of Vivacious people
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They are the ‘life and soul’ of the party, able to work the cocktail circuit with such ease the rest of us can only look on with wistful admiration, but what if they start hogging the limelight? Here are some tips to manage the situation.
Vivacious characters can be very attractive: outgoing, confident, able to work a room and network with ease, usually great public speakers whether speaking ‘off the cuff’ or at a planned event – and if they have something interesting to say they can leave you wanting more! Ideally suited to roles which require them to be in the public eye, they readily take on the networking so many managers hate! At their best, they can be persuasive, energetic, and able to mobilise support and opinion. If we can keep them focused on our team objectives we can utilise this skill to everyone’s advantage. So can this strength ever be a weakness? Possibly:
- When their need for attention becomes so great that they become the story rather than convey the story
- If they steal the limelight from others who also need exposure to clients or senior management
- If they start to take the credit for others’ work, or
- If they refuse to listen to negative feedback which doesn’t support their view of themselves or the world as they see it.
Not all vivacious people will overuse this strength. But if you have a team member you’re worried about, try the following:
- Ask them to attend a meeting and take the role of minute-taker so they have to focus carefully on what is said – how much more do they learn when they listen hard? And does this make their contribution, when the time comes, more impactful because they really understand the issue? This will enhance their reputation rather than diminish it.
- Assign them to a project which requires collaboration. Get them to give you a regular account of actions they’ve taken to promote or support others’ ideas, concerns or issues over their own – to build the success of the project as a whole.
- Set up interviews for them, with some successful people in the organisation they admire – on the topic of building a reputation. How have the successful person’s achievements come to light? How do they promote the work of their team? Why do people like working for them? What is their approach to building a reputation – for self and their team? Also, ask your team member to probe ‘How NOT to build a reputation’ – what approaches can put people off and get them to see you as ‘just a self-promoter’? This might temper their approach. Variations on this are to brief the successful person when setting up the interview about the issues you want to address; or getting your vivacious person to interview the successful person at a team meeting, where you or others in the team can also ask critical questions. The latter approach will help everyone in your team, and ensure all key points are covered, while still motivating the team member who leads the interview.
- Mentoring others who are shy about promoting their achievements, and helping them build a positive brand, will help your team member to put the career tactics they’ve learned to good use. You can also get them involved in building the team’s and department’s reputation by showcasing others. This will improve their grasp of the larger picture of promotion – and they will enjoy using their strengths in this way!
Vivacious people can be great fun to be around – especially if you can ensure they contribute effectively to team and organisational goals without hogging the limelight. Perhaps they can focus not just on being a star – but being a star in a high-performing, well-regarded team!
If you would like to know more about career derailers talk to Talent and Potential about this series and the Hogan Development Survey psychometric which can be used for both recruitment and development.