His Head, the Door and Your Room

You’ve heard it before. This guy has such a huge ego his head won’t make it through the door. Maybe that guy was you. Maybe not. If that guy was you (and you never changed), chances are you’ll never figure out how to get this guy into your room. Make that you’ll never even try to figure it out.

The trades are so short on talent that it’d be a shame to not at least consider trying to work with a technician whose ego is bigger than a 500 ton air conditioning chiller. Pointed in the right direction, engaged and packing a degree of civility, the technician with a large ego can be an invaluable asset…providing he really is talented and knowledgeable.

If our super tech degrades, is cruel to other techs and is causing morale problems, then all bets are off. But let’s continue this discussion based on a I am God’s gift to technicians and am master of the technician universe technician.

The problem that I’ve seen with most managers in dealing with their super tech is their inability to hang up their own technician boots. The manager seems to become enamored in the detail and takes his eye off the outcome. Most managers and their super techs will not argue about the outcome. They agree on satisfied customers, repaired systems and installed systems that work. One key for the manager is to let his super tech work his own way to the desired outcome.

Many super techs with huge egos are walking gold mines of knowledge. The fact that they tell the universe how great they are, should not deter the manager from letting them help other techs. Matter of fact, the manager should coach the other techs on how to mine the gold mine.

The less experienced tech needs to adopt a learning mindset. His goal is to learn. Yes, he will have to here how super tech brought the main chiller on line just in time for the Queen of Sheeba’s visit to the Gradisson Luxury Hotel and stories like it, but it’s a small price to pay for technical knowledge. The key is to ask good questions and make notes or use a small tape recorder. Most super techs love when one asks them good questions.

Super techs loved to be praised. While you think that the praising they are doing to themselves is enough, it isn’t. As a manager, dole out praise when the super tech does something good and of value. Remember to focus on desired outcomes and not on processes and how they get there.

A good manager learns how to modify the door. A great manager learns how to coach coworkers to expand the room, making it a rich, learning environment. And by the way, the world always needs people to rescue the Queen of Sheeba. Take pride in your hero.