We continue to ponder over what managers possibly mean when they say…
He is too crucial to our team: This is a powerful statement that seemingly conveys the criticality of an individual to the success of a team. Let's wear our truth spectacles and see the reality. This is really a ploy to make sure that a person gets to be soo enmeshed in what he is doing, that he cannot be moved anywhere else — effectively a kiss of death for that person's career. Many a time, it also means that the boss has someone else in mind for the plum post.
This is a challenge that you will relish: This can be viewed as the polar opposite of the earlier statement. In this case, a person who is considered inconvenient and/ or expendable is positioned as an adventurer who relishes the road never travelled before, giving the impression that he is like Captain James Kirk of Star Trek. The reality is that the challenge is a poisoned chalice that represents attempting to succeed in a venture where the probability of success is close to zero. It is reserved for sacrificial goats who are pumped full of adrenaline and who go commit harakiri with a happy smile on their faces.
(To be continued)
Keywords: adventurer, career post, team management,