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By Dana Knight
Cars are high- maintenance. Weedy lawns are high- maintenance. The cat, with his constant need for Meow Mix and clean litter, is high-maintenance.
But no human really wants to be labeled the big H.M.
Unless it happens to be in the workplace, says Katherine Graham Leviss.
"The high-maintenance employee is the tail that wags the dog," says Leviss, the author of the book, "High-Maintenance Employees," which argues the best employees are also the most difficult. "They lead and achieve. They are innovators, and the people who are most often responsible for a business's success."
A smirk appeared on my face. I've been called high- maintenance. Mostly because I have an obsession with shoes and run to the mirror to slather on lip gloss if I hear the doorbell ring -- even if it's just the UPS guy.
So perhaps that translates to my work life. Maybe I'm one of these dog-waggers.
I went to my boss. "Would you call me high-maintenance?" I asked.
Laughter. "No," he says. More laughter. "No. I assure you. Not even close."
So is that a good thing? Before I talked to Leviss, I would have been elated by my boss's answer. But now am I just some boring, ho-hum, low-maintenance sloth?
In the real world, being high- maintenance often carries a negative connotation -- people who are annoying, egotistical and need validation at all times.
That may be true, but Leviss argues those are not necessarily bad tendencies in the workplace -- as long as these people's strengths are allowed to blossom and their weaknesses handled appropriately.
Of course, the first order of business for a boss is to determine which of her employees are H.M. Leviss lists the top 10 traits -- demanding, poor team players, uncompromising, disrespectful, intimidating, emotional, uncooperative, defiant, erratic and driven to succeed.
Besides the last one, I'm not sure what could be good about any of that. Leviss is quick to stand up for these defiant souls.
"Yes. They take more effort to manage, and there is a greater risk that they will fail -- in a big way," Leviss says. "But if you manage them correctly, these are the people that can move your company more quickly to results, close business fastest and find new and better ways of doing things that put you in front of the competition."
Because, she says, in addition to some of the negative traits, these people typically are decision-makers, goal-oriented and results-driven.
They're ready to prove themselves so they can move up.
The key is to determine where -- and if -- they fit into an organization, says Mark Haering, senior partner with Princeton Search Group, an executive recruiting firm in Indianapolis.
"We have to do a pretty in-depth read in terms of personality when it comes to potential job candidates," he says. "These people might require a little more attention and a little more support."
And depending on the company, that might be OK. Or not. Which leads to my conclusion: I like my boss's answer. I'd rather not require an oil change or need mowing all the time.
Copyright 2006 IndyStar.com. All rights reserved
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This site is optimized for 1024x768 resolution and Internet Explorer.
Copyright © 2010 PrincetonOne
How can the office hothead be such a hot
commodity?
February 3, 2006
By Dana Knight
Cars are high- maintenance. Weedy lawns are high- maintenance. The cat, with his constant need for Meow Mix and clean litter, is high-maintenance.
But no human really wants to be labeled the big H.M.
Unless it happens to be in the workplace, says Katherine Graham Leviss.
"The high-maintenance employee is the tail that wags the dog," says Leviss, the author of the book, "High-Maintenance Employees," which argues the best employees are also the most difficult. "They lead and achieve. They are innovators, and the people who are most often responsible for a business's success."
A smirk appeared on my face. I've been called high- maintenance. Mostly because I have an obsession with shoes and run to the mirror to slather on lip gloss if I hear the doorbell ring -- even if it's just the UPS guy.
So perhaps that translates to my work life. Maybe I'm one of these dog-waggers.
I went to my boss. "Would you call me high-maintenance?" I asked.
Laughter. "No," he says. More laughter. "No. I assure you. Not even close."
So is that a good thing? Before I talked to Leviss, I would have been elated by my boss's answer. But now am I just some boring, ho-hum, low-maintenance sloth?
In the real world, being high- maintenance often carries a negative connotation -- people who are annoying, egotistical and need validation at all times.
That may be true, but Leviss argues those are not necessarily bad tendencies in the workplace -- as long as these people's strengths are allowed to blossom and their weaknesses handled appropriately.
Of course, the first order of business for a boss is to determine which of her employees are H.M. Leviss lists the top 10 traits -- demanding, poor team players, uncompromising, disrespectful, intimidating, emotional, uncooperative, defiant, erratic and driven to succeed.
Besides the last one, I'm not sure what could be good about any of that. Leviss is quick to stand up for these defiant souls.
"Yes. They take more effort to manage, and there is a greater risk that they will fail -- in a big way," Leviss says. "But if you manage them correctly, these are the people that can move your company more quickly to results, close business fastest and find new and better ways of doing things that put you in front of the competition."
Because, she says, in addition to some of the negative traits, these people typically are decision-makers, goal-oriented and results-driven.
They're ready to prove themselves so they can move up.
The key is to determine where -- and if -- they fit into an organization, says Mark Haering, senior partner with Princeton Search Group, an executive recruiting firm in Indianapolis.
"We have to do a pretty in-depth read in terms of personality when it comes to potential job candidates," he says. "These people might require a little more attention and a little more support."
And depending on the company, that might be OK. Or not. Which leads to my conclusion: I like my boss's answer. I'd rather not require an oil change or need mowing all the time.
Copyright 2006 IndyStar.com. All rights reserved
Executive Search | Recruitment Process Outsourcing | Contract Staffing | College Recruiting | Site Map
This site is optimized for 1024x768 resolution and Internet Explorer.
Copyright © 2010 PrincetonOne