Enlist support
Help your boss understand what you're doing, and build a case for change together.
Get your boss on board.
Revealing the risks generated by your heroes is likely to cause some damage: if it doesn’t you won’t have a clear picture of how to fix things. You’ll already have a plan to manage or mitigate that damage, but it’s still going to cause some pain.
Your boss is unlikely to be thrilled by something going wrong out of the blue. Before you take action, explain the situation to your boss. Help them understand what you’re doing, why it’s important, and why you need their support to get it done.
Build a business case together.
If you need more money or other resources to solve your hero problem, you’ll likely need your boss’s help. Work with them to build a business case:
- Set the stage: what’s risky about the way things are today? Why are your heroes ultimately going to cause you problems?
- What’s the cost: what do you need to reduce the risk from your constant heroes? Is there a range of options to choose from? What’s the cost and benefit of each?
- Sell the upside: besides reducing risks, what else do you get from this change, if anything? How are your heroes able to add more value elsewhere?
When to take this action
This action is from 'No heroics' and should be used when you're managing risks, when you need to make a risky change, when you need to stop heroics
Need something else?
personal-development
Who are your heroes?
Constant heroics lead to long term damage. Who are your constant heroes and how risky is their behaviour?
personal-development
Reveal the damage
You may have to make drastic steps to convince your heroes that things need to change, but you don't want to cause disaster.
personal-development
Look for new battles
Prepare to reassure your heroes by looking for new opportunities to engage and excite them. Help them feel valued even as you change their roles.
one-to-ones
Offer reassurance
Keep your heroes onside while you reduce the risk they create.