Shifting the Monkey

Everyone has roles, responsibilities, and problems to deal with in the workplace. Some people, however, have mastered the art of shifting those monkeys onto the backs of others. They claim they don t have time, they complain, they perform poorly, they find any and every way to avoid the work and pass the buck. Instead, hardworking, loyal employees who care about results end up shouldering those burdens. The slackers get just what they want less work while the best employees become alienated and overworked. Monkeys are such a problem in some businesses that they even get shifted from employees to customers. In Shifting the Monkey, author Todd Whitaker shows how to turn an organization s focus from compensating for, excusing, and working around problem people to cultivating and rewarding excellence. Poor employees get a disproportionate amount of attention. Why? Because they complain the loudest, create the greatest disruptions, and rely on others to assume the responsibilities that they shirk. Learn how to focus on your good employees first, and help them shift these monkeys back to the underperformers. Through a simple but brilliant metaphor, the author helps you reinvigorate your staff and transform your organization. Strong leaders and managers and managers never allow poor performers to dominate organizational culture and productivity. Instead, they support, protect, and cultivate the responsible employees and loyal customers who are the backbone of any business. These leaders constantly ask themselves: 1. Where is the monkey? 2. Where should the monkey be? 3. How do I shift the monkey to its proper place?