There’s a hole in my bucket - Blair McPherson

Blair McPherson

If your old enough or young enough you will recall that humorous children’s song “There’s a hole in my bucket “ in which one person comes up with excuses for not completing a simple task starting with “there is a hole in my bucket “ and getting increasingly inventive. In response to each excuse their partner comes up with a solution but each suggestion is meet with a reason why they can’t do it. Until we come full circle with the last line of the song being “ But there’s a hole in my bucket”.

May be you have had the misfortune to manage such a person instead of working with you to find good answers they will advocate for the problems and use their creativity to show you why they can’t succeed instead of how they can. They may try to overwhelm you with negativity to make you stop trying to change their behavior. If that fails, they are likely to deflect and find a way to make the issue your fault. Don’t fall into that trap. If you let them make you doubt yourself, get defensive, and feel like you have to justify yourself, you have been manipulated!

Ignor the excuses unless they are legitimate reasons. Don’t get into the game where you provide a solution and they provide a reason why they can’t do that . Instead remind them that the aim is to find a way not an excuse. Then monitor their work in the way you would with any team member that wasn’t delivering, that is be very explicit about the task and the time scale and insist on regular updates, weekly if necessary. Put this in writing, record your up dating meetings including any concerns about the quality of work giving specifics and making clear what improvements are required. In form them in writing that if there is not evidence of improvement you will have no choice but to seek to terminate their contract on the grounds of competence.

Blair McPherson former Director author and blogger www.blairmcpherson.co.uk

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