Imagine your organization resembles a sailing boat. You will see a lot of good days, but some bad days. On the good days, there is calm weather, sunshine, smooth sailing, and peaceful enjoyment of nature. On the bad days, there is cloudy weather, rough waters, and sometime you will face a hurricane.
On this boat there are three types of people:
- Paddler (30% of people): Engaged – Meant to keep the boat moving forward, working above and beyond with a sense of purpose. These are the BEST assets to your organization! They are creative and motivated to help organizations succeed. And they are proud of the contribution their organization makes to the community.
- Passenger (50% of people): Disengaged – Neutral, they think situations don’t affect them. They are not involved at all. There are here doing their job or doing the bare minimum.
- Boat Sinker (20% of people): Actively Disengaged – They are the biggest threats to the organization. They often use negativity and pointing fingers to aid in tearing an organization apart.
Leaders must confront the people who are trying to sink the boat. Either they must paddle or get off the boat.
Which type are you? Are you a paddler, a passenger, or are you trying to sink the boat?
Dr. Nabil Ebraheim's Blog 