Teri And Keri

I walked into my meeting with the marketing team, and you could feel it; they didn’t want to be there. Tension was in the air. This was my first meeting with them, and I immediately had concerns. Something was going on, but I wasn’t sure what it was.

One thing I knew for sure: Teri – who had been on the team for years - was a very difficult human. While most of her team sat near the front of the small conference room, she sat in the back next to the door. The physical distance between Teri and her teammates mirrored the emotional distance. Her body language screamed, “I am miserable,” and her tone and choice of words only reinforced this message.

My gut said Teri was a driver of the team’s issues. However, I wasn’t sure what came first: a miserable team that impacted Teri or a miserable Teri that impacted her team. I did know that this was not sustainable. You can’t function as a high-performing team when you don’t have healthy relationships with your teammates, and this was a divided team.

I left that meeting carrying a lot of mental red flags.

Tim is the Executive Director of this organization. At the end of the day – after meeting with all his teams – I made my way to his office so we could debrief. I sat down, and for the first time that day, I realized I was mentally and emotionally exhausted. All I could say was, “Tell me about Teri?”

Tim took a deep breath and replied, “She is really good at her job, but she is miserable, and it is contagious. Her team is exhausted by her attitude.”   

Fast-forward nine months later to my next visit. I began the day by meeting with the human resources team. Keri was the first to walk into the room. Walking into the room doesn’t do it justice. She floated into the room; she was happy to see me. She greeted me by name and asked about my flight. She continued to welcome each team member as they arrived while offering hugs, a pat on the back, or a genuine heartfelt smile.

Keri’s positive energy was infectious. When she sat near the front of the room, naturally, everyone joined her. She brought joy to the group, and people wanted to be near her.

It didn’t take long to see that this was a connected team. They knew each other deeply, and as a result, they were a high-performing team that excelled at all their tasks.

But here is the detail I left out: Teri and Keri are the same person. While Teri was miserable on the marketing team, she thrived on the human resources team. Her transformation was unreal.

At the end of the day, once again, I met with Tim.

I sat down and said, “I think I know the answer to this, but I don’t want to make any assumptions, so let me ask. Did Teri get a massive pay raise with the move to the human resources team? Is that why she is so happy?”

Tim replied with a smile, “No. There was no pay raise.”

“Did she get a new title that built her self-esteem, and that is where her joy is coming from?”

Tim replied, “No. It was a lateral move.”

“So, can she work from home multiple days a week, bring her labradoodle to the office, or was she promised an end-of-the-year bonus?”

Tim laughed and said, “No.”

“Let me make sure I understand: the only thing that changed was Teri’s environment. You surrounded her with a new group of people, and now she is thriving?”

While shaking his head, Tim said, “Yes. It’s wild. We knew it was a big risk, but she was good at her work, and we wanted to see if a change of environment would help her.”

I love that this organization is willing to invest in their people in his way. It was not sustainable to keep Teri on a team where she – and others – were miserable, and firing her was certainly a fair option, but this leader took a risk and put her on a new team, and she thrived.

As I reflect on Teri's transformation, one thing is very clear: our environments matter. The people around us impact us. In this case, the real Teri – with all her potential – emerged when she was in a healthy environment.

Teri's journey reminds us that sometimes, the most effective solution to a people problem is not a personnel change but a cultural shift. This underscores the value of cultivating environments where individuals can thrive, excel, and bring their full potential to the table. In the end, it's not just about the individuals; it's about creating a culture of care and support that fosters growth and success for everyone.

Sometimes, we have a people problem, and other times, we have a culture of concern. Great leaders discern which path to pursue.

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