Monday, May 9, 2016

Do you have a prima donna at work? Be happy – Aftenposten

Are prima donnas at work led properly, it is among them that we find the most innovative and creative.

– four out of ten say they dislike some of them they work with. It suggests that we have a piece of work to do, commenting adviser in communication and management, Per Henrik Stenstrøm. He refers to an employment survey conducted by consulting firm Dale Carnegie.

the four archetypes Helle Hedegaard Hein has set up are:

prima donnas: Powered by a vocation and strive for absolute best result. Prima donnas is their work, and think about it around the clock if necessary. Innovative and think outside the box. The more energy they use to solve a task, the greater the kick they get out of it.

The extroverted performance destroyer: Powered of prestige and ambient respect. A competitor who will do everything to beat opponents. Loyal towards common goals and see it as their task to reach these goals the best and fastest possible.

The introverted performance destroyer: Powered by to surpass its own achievements and results – not others. Love to immerse themselves in complicated matters and may get a kick out of the work process.

pragmatists: Powered by performing a work and execute it well. Following the adopted guidelines and expectations without striving more. It is important to distinguish between work and leisure. Get stressed thinking about work outside working hours. Are often very social and do a lot of solidarity at work.

– Maybe we ask for great demands colleague relationship. Working together is not the same as making friends, he recalls. Stenstrøm think we are afraid to deal with conflicts in Norway.



– Must withstand disagreements

– Here we are a little dysfunctional. We must endure to enter the disagreements and talk about what works and does not. What kind of behavior we will see more of the individual, and what we can do without. People often do not realize how they affect other people.

Per Henrik Stenstrøm has been in the media industry for over 25 years. Worked as a presenter, journalist and editor of TV and radio. Now he is full-time lecturer, consultant and moderator. Under the vignette “How do you deal with prima donnas and other difficult coworkers’ he will try to inspire to create good jobs.



Terrified

As to dispel the myth prima donnas first as last, he says: Vi should be soul happy to have prima donnas and difficult people around us. Otherwise, firms had been doing well.

25 years ago would Per Henrik Stenstrøm never said anything like that. He was terrified the first time he came into close contact with a prima donna. An unnamed presenter got the real primadonnavis a total tantrums and abusing and melt in vocal terms.

Stenstrøm swallowed it all and slept poorly the night before he next morning made contact with the regards. “You, we must talk about,” he tried his hand.

– I was a young manager and thought that one has to speak out about things. But the terms of realized nothing. Had he been angry? No, he had just been engaged and had forgotten the whole episode.



Not directly sympathetic

So this is typical prima donnas. They can abuse people, throw the keyboard in the wall, blame others and afterwards remember they hardly what has happened. Quite difficult to cope with the surroundings, and there is no direct sympathetic behavior. The only consolation is that it has its explanation.

– We must distinguish between how donnas behaves and what drives them, says Helle Hedegaard Hein. She is Danish lead researcher and after several years of study and research concluded that we humans can be divided into four archetypes.

prima donnas are one of them. One characteristic is that they are driven by a calling – a higher cause. They want to make a difference, and when they can do it, it gives them great existential meaning. But when they are able to reach the highest standard or make a difference to the case – when they feel that they fail – then they can react with big huffy, explains Hein.

– When they thrive however, this the most innovative, generous and creative employees one can have.

Need to get a kick

Hein has found prima donnas in all kinds of professions – they are among judges, health professionals, journalists, teachers and artists, to name a few. With its ability to think outside the box and its strong commitment and drive need society these people, especially in our time when everything is becoming more complex, she says.

– We can not afford to lose them most innovative and creative. But it is important that they be led properly, otherwise the shadow side of prima donnas could take over, she points out. If they can not keep up with things that give them a kick – and is supported in the case that drives them, they become demotivated and behave negatively.

Even skilled managers misunderstand often prima donnas. They can be demanding that type, but has learned to understand them, they are easier to like and to lead.

It requires reflection, says Hein – and believes the key question managers must ask themselves is:

“What does it take for prima donnas have confidence that prima donnas may deposit their calling and get support for what gives them existential meaning, in the hands of the leader?”.

– for to put it more concretely – the more a manager talking about economic data, the less prima donnas trust be. That’s when talking about the meaning and the case that one gets prima donnas confidence.



The four archetypes

When Per Henrik Stenstrøm became acquainted with Helle Hedegaard Hein archetypes he had an aha experience. Or as he himself puts it, “Hein gave very meaningful.”

– I use Hein model when I give lectures about how we create the world’s best place to work together. I feel that the four archetypes are a good starting point for reflection, to create engagement and something to talk about, says Stenstrøm.

He says Heins archetypes that next prima donnas is the extroverted and the introverted performance destroyer and more practical (see separate article).

Understanding inequalities

Stenstrøm have learned that people recognize themselves in archetypes. Although it rarely is someone who is purely one or the other, it gives an insight that creates more openness and understanding for each other’s differences.

– Many walks around with a basic desire that there had been much better if everyone was like themselves. But we need a combination of people who think differently and have different ambitions. So rather than irritated by all the different types, it is a good start to accept differences, he said.

– Primadonna has a negative connotation in Norway and is being used to the cleverest in various subjects. In business it is used to denote a bit self-important and difficult people, says associate professor at BI, Donatella de Paoli.

– Norway has one of the most democratic workplace in the world. Here are “all equal”. Thus, the people who stand out because they have a lot of knowledge and would like to assert itself, seen as troublesome employees.



Can be childish

But we have too easy to dismiss them, they mean Paoli. This is creative and dedicated people which admittedly can be demanding, but it is worth listening to and that companies need, she says. One must go beyond and understand why they are who they are and act the way they do. When you see them in a slightly different perspective, it is easier to handle and accept them, she says.

– Many of these people can be quite childish. They have strong emotions and has become something special because they have cultivated only one side. Often they have not had time to get social training. I think the Mozart film gives a good description of the personality of a gifted person. He could be quite frivolous and childish while he created ingenious music. I think we have to endure some boundlessness and madness in Norway to bring out the genius.



efficiency mindset

Helle Hedegaard Hein think we can lose a lot of innovation if we misunderstand prima donnas and limits them in performing their call.

– They are not driven by the visible rewards, like getting grades for example, and they learn not only to learn, they must see a purpose in what they do.

it is also reflected in the school where Hein believes there are many demotivated children.

And worse it is for teachers who have been imposed fixed working hours, she said. It is suitable for Heins opinion extremely bad for knowledge workers in general, because such work requires periods of uninterrupted contemplation. It requires occasionally get the opportunity to strive for the highest standards.

– When politicians in Denmark decided to introduce fixed working hours in school, it was to ensure that people are present and do nothing. There is a misguided way of thinking about efficiency belonging to the industrial society. And for a prima donna it is an insult because it is impugning the calling they have, says Helle Hedegaard Hein.

She thinks it could lead to talent loss in school, just like any business may be at risk losing talent if they do not give them the opportunity to reach the professional standard they strive for.

prima donnas do not compromise.

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updated: 08.mai. 2016 2:14 p.m.

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