It’s incredible how often I hear this expression at work and from friends that also work. Doesn’t matter what the industry is, but somewhere out there, there is a lot of ‘roadkill’. When I hear the narratives driving some of this, I stop in my tracks and consider the foolishness attached. The lack of respect, the waste of valuable time, the inconsideration and the diluted lack of common sense hits my nerves in a very painful way.
What are people trying to accomplish by including senior management in an email? Is it necessary to get a 3, 4, 5-way conversation going? With exception – NO! We already get too many emails. If you have an issue with your staff, a colleague, a friend, reach out directly. Make your point and if this tactic should fail, then email them under the bus. But refrain from making that the first step. Give your team the benefit of the doubt. They were hired for a reason – You owe them that much. Consider having a professional and quiet conversation. Try and eliminate the emotional content and look for a solution. Focus on the outcome. What impact can this have going forward?
‘UNDER THE BUS’ can often be a betrayal of trust. Once trust is compromised, there is no relationship. If your dog doesn’t trust you, then you don’t have a relationship with your dog. So why would someone want to create that climate. It’s so detrimental to the work culture. We are so focused on ‘culture’ today. We all want a quality culture at work, at home, at play, so why take the low road? Confront someone. Give it to them straight. Allow them to recognize they screwed up. Look for conflict resolution without creating roadkill. Keep it simple. If you need a paper trail, then send an email, but for goodness’ sake, give them a chance to reconcile and improve. You will earn a lot of integrity points, and you will be seen as a great leader, partner, colleague, cohort, associate, friend, teammate, coworker, and collaborator. Think long-term before you decide to throw someone under the bus.
