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Pencil vs The Sharpie
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Pencil vs The Sharpie

How we track wrongdoings dramatically impacts our team

Shaun Nestor
Aug 30, 2021
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Pencil vs The Sharpie
shaunnestor.substack.com

“He will write your name in pencil if you don’t meet his expectations or he perceives you crossed him; if it happens again, he writes your name in Sharpie and you never recover.”

These words were said of a leader who also professes to have an open door policy, putting people first, and assuming the best. 

But the Sharpie is a trap. When we judge on perception or unspoken expectations, we set our people up for failure.

How does this influence open dialog? Creative thinking? Self-initiation? Testing and trying new things?

Does it foster respective pushback? Can your people disagree with you?

To cultivate a culture of trust and positive intent, there must be no Sharpie. 

A one-sided scorecard to keep tally of wrongdoings serves one purpose: discord.

Instead, use action-based accountability, welcome candid conversation, and exercise empathy.

Disappearing ink may be a better tool for marking missed expectations.

All the best,

-Shaun

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