Directing the Over-Enthused
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These days it’s definitely tempered with a little sarcasm, but all the same I know I possess a naturally upbeat, glass-half-full optimism that can sometimes border on annoying – in a mad puppy kind of way!
Joking aside, there are huge benefits that I bring by being like this. For example, people are often swayed to support what I’m doing and a lot of work gets done because it’s allied to a relentless energy.
But it also comes with a health warning!
I’ll often rush to use great ideas (because they’re exciting to try) and sometimes forget to just hold back and think it through for a moment. It also means that I can be too helpful and take too much on, and make more work for myself by always wanting to go the extra mile. One early manager once quoted Michael Caine to me (from the Italian Job), saying – “You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!” – and made me see that by being over-helpful I was not getting people to commit and own the solutions I designed. A comment I have always remembered, as left to my own devices I would doubtless have left a trail of exploded vehicles!
So, the question is – how should you best manage someone like me? How can you harness and direct sheer raw enthusiasm for the good of your team?
- Channel their energy in bursts. Like the cheetah who runs at great speed – and then is worn out and needs to recharge – people with high levels of energy are great at being challenged to deliver a lot of things very quickly when you have short deadlines. They have the ability to raise their game to a high level, making an impact on something fast. You will probably find that you get the best from them when you set them tight deadlines and tough challenges, as this will focus their attention on a few important priorities. But they may be prone to take on too much, and ending with a string of missed deadlines. Can you ask them to agree with you before taking on another massive project?
- Use them to turn around the energy and mood of a team. When something is hard work and everyone is a bit down – people with energy can generate a change in humour and mood. They often get the best out of people in stressful situations. Highly enthusiastic people naturally want to take others with them, and will thrive on praising others’ ideas, and getting everyone into the spirit of what needs to be done.
- Help them build credibility. Having the temperament of a puppy dog can sometimes mean that others don’t take you seriously. Help your ‘puppies’ to realise that as well as their enthusiasm for the possibilities, they need to see the challenges and difficulties in a situation too. They need to remember that some people need ‘to see it to believe it’. Help them to realise that they need a track record of delivering and getting results in order to win people over; and hard facts to support their desired course of action. When their reputation and solid achievements precede them, their enthusiasm will be seen as passion rather than naiveté. Direct them to measure before-and-after, and guide them to build a reputation based on data that proves their impact.
- Guide them on the politics. I’ve seen people who are over-enthusiastic misjudge situations; they can go into tense environments with cynical people unprepared, and leave having received a thorough battering! Help them to prepare for difficult situations where you know that their energy could work against them. Make sure that when they need to persuade powerful people, they can show gravitas and project confidence without smiling continuously. Educate them that this is just another professional mode of communication to use when you want to be taken seriously. Teaching them how to crank it up – and down – pays dividends.
Sometimes over-enthusiasm can be wearing, but as a manager those team members can be really good to have in your arsenal – they can make a real difference. Take the time to use harness this opportunity – and get the best from the puppies in your team!