Colin was a high-maintenance member of staff who took a lot of energy to get him to do anything more energetic than chasing a tortoise. On one of many similar occasions, I had a complaint from a fellow manager that Colin would not cooperate on what seemed like a straightforward request for an emergency help. I called Colin to my office to investigate the matter further.
Me: Colin, what is the problem with helping our colleagues?
Colin: I am busy
Me: Indeed but, the request seems straightforward enough and won’t take you that long
Colin: Yes, but what if everyone asked me for a straightforward favour, then my whole day will be destroyed
Me: Has everyone asked you for favours today?
Colin: No, but I don’t want to give them the impression I will help just because they ask me
Me: But, this is your job, you are supposed to help them
Colin: As I said, I am busy
Me: With what exactly?
Colin: the priorities that YOU set me
Me: I agreed these priorities with you in isolation of unknown emergencies and I expect you to use your judgment to vary these priorities based on what may turn up unexpectedly
Colin: You never said that before
Me: Okay, I am saying it now because the circumstances are appropriate
Colin: I don’t agree
Me: You don’t agree with what exactly?
Colin: that you can vary priorities because the circumstances have changed
Me: Be it as it may, we need to review your priorities to fit in some other work which in my view is very urgent
Colin: Do I not have a say in the matter?
Me: You had total say in the matter before it came to my attention
Colin: Even so, I should have a say in the matter
Me: Okay, what is your say?
Colin: I think we should stick with my original priorities
Me: We are back to your original attitude the moment you walked into my office
Colin: Yes, because I am right
Me: Okay, enough of this circular argument, I want you to go ahead and do the emergency work immediately, is this clear?
Colin: I am not happy, you are interfering with my authority
Me: The authority I give you on the condition that you use it reasonably
Colin: Are you saying I am not reasonable?
Me: Colin, the time it took you to sit here and argue this case could have been used to sort the whole thing out; that’s enough of that
Colin: I am a little more than a doormat, you know
Me: For the first time today, I completely agree with you; you are a little more than a doormat and if you don’t get on and do what I am asking you, I will treat you like a fully-fledged doormat.
With that, Colin charged out of my office and I was left to regain my inner peace. Colin sulked for a few weeks; long enough to find another job elsewhere. I was not sorry to see him leave but I felt very guilty for humiliating him in front of the fellow manager who complained to me in the first place. I should have known better and avoided this public humiliation.
