surviving workplace zombies

Surviving Workplace Zombies Paul  Glen,  Leading  Geeks  

Enter at your own risk!

Surviving Workplace Zombies

Poll: What’s your zombie problem?

What are workplace zombies?

Zombies are not simply demotivated people.

Demotivated people

Demotivated •  Listless •  Apathetic •  Indifferent to outcomes •  Not creative •  Unambitious

The Scale of Motivation H

ighly Motivated

Passively Dem

otivated

Norm

ally Motivated

Zombie

High

Low

Demotivated person v. zombie

Demotivated •  Listless •  Apathetic •  Indifferent to outcomes •  Not creative •  Unambitious

Zombies •  Plodding but persistent •  Single minded •  Motivated to infect others •  Not creative •  Unambitious

Zombies are contagiously demotivated people, highly

motivated to infect others with their demotivation.

How does the infection start and spread?

How do people get demotivated?

•  Non-work induced – Personal life events – Physical and mental health issues

•  Workplace conditions and/or behaviors lead people to feel: – Personally unimportant – That their work is unimportant – Helpless to succeed – Untrusted – Disrespected – Out of control

Emotions are contagious.

People feel better about their own emotions when they share them.

Zombies want you to make them feel better about their negativity.

Your negativity validates theirs.

Spreading (de)motivation High

Low

Peak Performance

Highly M

otivated

Passively D

emotivated

Norm

ally Motivated

Zombie

I do have zombies! What should I do!?

Save them?

Strategy 1: Save yourself!

•  Run away! •  Hide •  Recruit human

shields

Strategy 2: Save the survivors

•  Kill them all •  Isolate them •  Build a

fortress

Rule #1

Never surrender

Rule #2

Don’t try to reason with zombies.

Rule #3 Have empathy

for the person but not the condition.

Rule #4 Don’t let zombies set the agenda.

4 different zombie cases

•  Your boss •  Your peers •  Your business stakeholders •  You

Help! My boss is a zombie!

Save yourself!

•  RUN!!! •  Stay focused on

what you want to accomplish

•  Be prepared to run away!

Save the survivors

•  Stampede (Everyone RUN … at once!) •  Lead from below •  Communicate your will

– What you want to accomplish – What matters to you

•  Insulate your team •  Be prepared to stampede

Help! My teammates are zombies!

Save yourself!

•  RUN!!! •  Stay focused on the team goal •  Hide •  Be prepared

to run away!

Save the survivors

•  Lead by openly stating what you are committed to

•  If zombies are a minority – Try to eject the zombie minority –  Isolate zombies

•  If zombies are a majority – RUN!!! – Convince your boss/sponsor to intervene

Help! My business stakeholders are

zombies!

Save yourself!

•  RUN!!! •  Work on something

else •  Remind them of

what you are committed to

Save the survivors

•  Use non-zombie stakeholders to manage zombies

•  Distract them with bait – Something attractive to pursue – Something noxious to fight

•  Convince their superiors to intervene

Help! I’m becoming a zombie!

What you can do

•  RUN!!! •  Never surrender

Noticing some zombie tendencies in your office? Leading Geeks Consulting and Education will teach you how to save yourself no matter

who the culprit is. To learn more about our customizable programs, delivered both in person and via the Internet, visit our website

www.leadinggeeks.com or call us at 310-694-0450.

Paul Glen, Founder, Geek. As the award-winning author of the book Leading Geeks, a long-time columnist for Computerworld and a 25-year IT veteran, Paul helps concrete thinkers navigate the murky world of human relationships. paul@leadinggeeks.com

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