Am I Too Mean at Work?

Hi friends,

I have been getting some feedback from my staff and co-workers that I can be too mean (or harsh), mostly when it comes to working with vendors and strategic partners. None of them are clients, so it is more internal than anything.

While that may be their perspective, my perspective is that I am very busy and need these vendors/partners to do their job on time, on budget, and accurately. I don’t have a lot of patience or grace with them, but that is because I have high expectations. I have a hard time tolerating my time getting wasted due to others’ incompetence. If the issue has risen to my level, it means that it couldn’t be resolved by others or is complicated – I can’t be the one to explain/train our vendors/partners on how to do their job, so I have an expectation that those who are working with me know what they are doing.

These sorts of issues can be tough to navigate – on one hand, having our strategic partners like us and be motivated to work well for us is important, but on the other hand, if you are getting paid to do something, you should fulfill your duty and do it with excellence. Vendor changes are usually not fun either, so tying to preserve a relationship and make it better can be in my best interest as well. From a leadership perspective, I am also being watched by my team and peers, so modeling appropriate ways of handling issues is a training tool and sets the tone for the group. I will also use issues that come up as teaching tools to help some staff out when it is appropriate, showing them both sides of the coin.

All this to say, I am not planning to change my techniques any time soon, but am keeping aware of how my sometimes harsh methods have an impact on the business and team.

Do you have similar issues to navigate?

Thanks for stopping by today,

Brian