Two colleagues talking at office. One of them is
attending the Office Dynamics course.
A: Did you ask the teacher about my situation?
B: Yes, I did.
A: What did you say?
B: I told him that my friend is a team leader, but a couple of his
juniors in his team seem to be more competent than him. Or at least he thinks
so. He is afraid that he might be removed from his position and made to work
under his juniors. I asked him what one should do in such a situation.
A: What did he say?
B: First, he praised your honest appraisal of the situation (winks).
A: Oh yeah (rolls eyes).
B: Actually he was serious about that honesty part. He keeps saying in
class that an honest analysis of your incapabilities will help you to build a
solid and safe foundation at work.
A: Alright, but I do not feel much solid or safe.
B: He said that there can be two scenarios. If the juniors are merely
more confident than the team leader and has a better understanding of the job,
then the team leader can try to find their mistakes – everybody makes some –
and bring them out somehow in front of others. But one has to do it tactfully.
This will convince others that even though those juniors are good, the TL is
even better.
A: They are not only more confident, they are too damn good.
B: Yes, that is the second scenario. When the juniors are actually much
better. He said the only way to still remain the leader in such a situation is
to establish that it was you who had unleashed the potential of those juniors.
That they could not shine if you were not there to guide them.
A: Even if they do not need guidance?
B: Yes. Tell people that you have an eye for real talents and you have
enough experiences to know how to nurture them.
A: In short, act like a kindergarten teacher.
B: Or like a sports selector whose real job is not to play the sport but
to spot the talent.
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