FireFly Facilitation

Did you know that Yellowstone National Park sits on top of a gigantic supervolcano? Molten rock simmering beneath the earth’s surface causes the park’s bubbling geysers, boiling mud pots, and hissing thermal vents. An eruption of Yellowstone’s volcano would have cataclysmic consequences on the environment, and is capable of wiping out vast stretches of North America.

Have you ever been around a “volcanic coworker”—a person prone to angry outbursts? If so, then you know the damage such a person poses to the work environment. When they erupt, they spew out toxic emotions on everyone else and cause irreparable damage to team dynamics.

How do you defuse a coworker who appears to be on the verge of a destructive eruption?

1) Give them safe outlets to vent negative feelings.

Volcanoes erupt because of the building pressure of toxic gases trapped beneath the earth’s surface. If the gases have an escape valve, then no eruption occurs.

2) Keep them away from combustible situations.

Volcanic eruptions are fueled when fresh inflows of molten rock add volume to the caldron of magma boiling under the earth’s crust. Absent of the added inflows, a volcano lacks sufficient energy to erupt.

3) Turn down their temperature by removing stressful assignments.

Volcanoes are triggered by intense heat that can liquefy rock. Reduce the hotness, and your remove the threat of an eruption.

Remember Hermey, the misfit elf from the animated Christmas classic, Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer? An aspiring dentist, Hermey languishes away in Santa’s workshop, trying to make toys. Lacking the talent and desire for toymaking, poor Hermey bogs down the workshop’s finely tuned assembly line. His ineptitude catches the eye of the workshop foreman, who fusses and fumes at the young elf. Tired of being the target of his boss’s verbal barrages, Hermey quits his job and strikes out on his own.

How many Hermeys do we have in the workplace? Would-be dentists struggling to make toys? Square pegs trying in vain to jam themselves into round holes?

As a leader, you have responsibility to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the people on your team. If they are slotted in the wrong place, then getting angry at their underperformance won’t solve anything. It’s up to you to help them find a niche.

As a practical application, have your team complete a strengths inventory and personality profile. Review the results. Who appears to be positioned in the right role? Who might be misplaced?

Do you know how oysters make pearls? The process begins when a grain of sand lodges inside of an oyster’s shell. The rough, grainy exterior of the bit of sand irritates the oyster, which begins coating it with a shiny substance to smooth out the rough edges. Through time, layers of the substance build up around the irritant, and a pearl is formed. Other than easing discomfort, a pearl serves no useful purpose to the oyster.

Do you view conflict like an oyster? Something to be buried and glossed over to avoid feeling uncomfortable? If so, it’s time to reevaluate your perceptions.

Conflict is a natural and necessary part of building a healthy team environment. Deal with disagreements and resolve differences of opinion as soon as they surface. If you don’t, they’ll grow into unwelcome baggage.