Try hard thing → be bad at it → desire to improve → do work → be less bad. repeat.

Peter Principle acts profound, but its literally just steps 1 & 2 of a process you’ve been through thousands of times in your life.

Don't forget steps 3-5 exist.

When you went up a grade. That calc II class. Every time you changed jobs - boom. You had to confront your own ignorance - but it wasn’t a big deal bc you A) expected it and B) knew with study and work you’d get better.

Why do we drop all that when we hit a leadership role? ⬇️

Don't assume your best people can read your mind.

Acknowledge their situation, give a clear finish line, share the higher quality work you see in future. Ask for their thoughts & listen

Is it YOU pitching in temporarily? Just apply this to *yourself*. Check in, set a finish line, etc.

1. Check yourself for leadership gaps. Are you:

- Over-tolerating low performers at the expense of others?

- Avoiding conflict bc your high performer is easier to work with?

- Reacting frantically to pressure from above?

If you truly can't avoid shifting the work...

2. Communicate *well*...

⬇️

ordering immediately.

It should be a crime these days to call a meeting with a team member but give no hint what the topic is about 😆

Exactly. It's not enough to listen. You need to actually DO something. If you aren't in a position to FIX big systemic problems (a maddening aspect of middle mgmt) you can *acknowledge* you see it, *show* you fight for it, not fault people for work impacted by it. Act.

9. you (or the company) has fired someone recently and you haven’t directly clarified w/ each team member where they stand with you

10. you haven’t directly addressed layoff fears and where you stand for them

4. Your 1:1s are repetitive/low-impact

5. You’re a bulldog for your own opinions

6. You convey as always overwhelmed/confused/annoyed

7. You publicly criticize peers/team members (backstabber rep)

8. You gossip

⬇️

I developed a taste for coffee in my 20s simply so I had an excuse to walk with the cool work-friends to the coffee shop. 😆 So... social validation?

Now in midlife I drink it bc it seems to make me a nicer person to be around in the morning. So now it's also about the benefit to OTHERS :) 🤷🏻‍♀️

😆 I would rule this leaderboard. 🫣

We imagine this is a prob with “bad” techs or non-technical people, but it's human. We tend to judge only the tip of an unfamiliar iceberg.

So? I guess for me I want to remember this the next time someone says You’re Doing It Wrong on the internet.

Don't toss criticism. Don't jump to believing it.

😅 I hear this. Currently aiming for interesting PLUS recharging in 2025. If I'm choosing lots of interesting/uncomfortable, I can't keep skipping fun/recharging things trying to be more "productive."

Love this! A few of my coach friends focused on adhd, it’s a great area. They (and their parents) could use so much support

Try a couple Qs...

* Do you want to explore this yourself or need support?
* How else could this be solved?
* Any concerns about that presentation?

Respect if they pull back. Shift to manager-mode: clarify expectations, set checkpoints, & give space based on experience. Try coaching again later