From the Archives — June 2014

Obsolescence and Loyalty – A Balancing Act

(originally posted June 25, 2014 http://www.5oclockreflections.com/obsolescence-a…-balancing-act )

I have people in my organization that have been loyal to me for over a decade. They are, however, beginning to become functionally obsolete. A sense of entitlement has started to set in. Tenure and status for years served allows them to demand respect, but they lose the ability to change with the times, and they stop becoming good role models.

Gently nudging them to change falls on deaf ears. Their unwillingness to change and digging in their heals on key operational areas is problematic and potentially harmful to the company. The younger people in the company look to them for guidance and can potentially acquire bad habits.

The trade offs present a dilemma. Loyalty on one hand; the inability to adapt and change with the times on the other. Time to have some tough conversations this week.

Loyalty is useless, if it impacts my company negatively, and affects my ability to take care of the people who matter the most — the little children who rely on us to provide them with a world class education.