Most workplaces can be broken down into those who ask for favors at work and those who grant favors on the job. This division can lead to decreased productivity and burnout for your team.
The problem is that granting favors at work can expose a sense of entitlement rather than a spirit of engagement. This can be a form of poison for your team.
Let’s say Jimbo asks his colleague, Bob, to help him put together handouts for a meeting. Jimbo is asking for the favor so he can leave work early and go to a football game.
Bob ends up staying late, working on the handouts. Still, he leaves the job feeling good, knowing that he helped a colleague.
The next day, Jimbo approaches Bob and says that the handouts were supposed to have been put assembled differently and as such, they are out of order.
Bob remarks that he followed Jimbo’s instructions precisely.
Jimbo snaps at Bob when he hears this and says, “You really need to pay more attention to what you’re doing. You really let me down.”
Bob feels horrible. Later his mood changes and that should worry you.
Unfortunately, the Jimbo scenario is a common situation in the workplace. Someone asks for help but then is upset when the help given is not judged to be satisfactory. Some might call this ungrateful behavior, like a person who is openly disappointed in a birthday present.
In this case, I’m not worried about Jimbo. He’s a lousy coworker who has no right to complain about someone helping him, so he can go to a football game. Regardless of the outcome, the handouts were his responsibility no matter who did the actual work. Jimbo dropped the ball.
I am worried about Bob. It’s likely he will be blamed for the outcome instead of being recognized for helping a colleague and staying late to get the job done. He tried to be a “go getter” but will likely be perceived as the “fall guy.”
In the future, Bob will think twice before granting another favor. Why bother if your effort is dismissed and your are blamed for a poor outcome.
It?s important that Bob consider these points, the next time he?s asked to grant a favor:
- Is the person asking for help someone who has helped him in the past?
- He will make it clear to all that while he will help, he is not the person ultimately responsible for the outcome.
- People like Jimbo don’t see what they’re doing as being wrong. Bob pledges not to let his nice guy instincts allow others to get special treatment.
Organizations need people who perform tasks outside of their regular duties. Their efforts need to be acknowledged, protected, and compensated beyond a Good Job ribbon.
