The Leadership Series - How to Judge A Person

 ‘I’m planning to promote some of our team members,’ said Rinku. ‘But I’m confused about

who to promote.’

‘What are you confused about?’ asked Rakesh.

‘For example, Rithu is a good candidate in my opinion with the right intent,’ said Rinku. ‘But

she says something and does the opposite. Like she says all the right words – ownership,

commitment, responsibility, team first - but I see nothing of that in her actions.’

‘Yes bhaiyya,’ said Rahul. ‘Even I get confused with such people. They say all the right things

but do the opposite.’

‘That’s a good observation,’ said Rakesh. ‘The general rule when it comes to judging people

is to judge them by their actions, not their words. That’s because most of us believe we’re

doing what we’re saying, while in reality we may be doing the opposite. Like a person may

talk with great conviction about being punctual but may be a habitual latecomer. She may

genuinely believe she has valid justifications for being late often. On the other end are

people who deliberately mislead with words because they know that most people give the

spoken word greater importance than deeds. Such people can take others on an emotional

ride of how they got delayed, obscuring the important fact that they are actually late. So for

a leader, it is important to judge people by their deeds and not their words. Are they

actually coming on time? Are they showing proof of ownership? If they are not, don’t get

swayed by mere words, however emotional or emphatic.’

‘But bhaiyya,’ said Rinku. ‘What if some of them, like Rithu, are well-intentioned but for

some reason are not able to put their thought into action? Should we not give them a

chance?’

‘That’s excellent leadership thinking,’ said Rakesh. ‘When it comes to the future - always

give them the benefit of doubt. Believe that they are well-intentioned and will change their

behavior with timely feedback that shows the gap between their words and actions. Don’t

label them based on one deed and write them off for life, because they could turn around

and do what they intend. But when it comes to the present, judge them by their deeds.’

‘So you’re saying that Rithu’s errors must not be overlooked while judging her for the

present role,’ said Rinku.

‘Absolutely,’ said Rakesh. ‘They say a person is true to his character in his errors. It means

that errors give a good insight into the character of the person. If you can understand their

errors and their motivations, you can judge them better and will have less surprises i.e. the

gap between your expectations from them and their delivery will be less.’

‘That’s very helpful bhaiyya,’ said Rinku. ‘There are two people I’m considering promoting as

group leader. One’s Sheelu who’s been a reliable performer. Nothing outstanding but she is

consistent. The other is Rithu who performed well this time but there’s a gap between her

words and deeds. I am thinking of promoting both.’

‘Why?’ asked Rakesh. ‘I can understand why you want to promote Sheelu. But why do you

want to promote Rithu when you’re not sure if she’s ready?’

‘I want to encourage her bhaiyya,’ said Rinku. ‘I feel if she does not get the promotion, she

will get disappointed and stop working so hard. She may give up even. I need to develop my

teammates right?’

‘Good point,’ said Rakesh. ‘But to develop your people, you need to make them tougher.

Don’t give the rewards too easy. Don’t lower your standards. Set high standards and give

them process feedback. The best leader they say is easy to serve but hard to please. If you

give Rithu the promotion because you think she will be disappointed and give up, then

you’re promoting her for the wrong reasons. If she’s the sort who’ll give up at the first sign

of failure, she’s not ready yet. You need people who can handle failure and grow past their

limitations.’

‘Are you saying that the ability to handle failure could be a criterion in judging people?’

asked Rahul.

‘Yes,’ said Rakesh. ‘I’m sure you’ve heard of organisations that select people based on how

they have handled failure in the past. They prefer those who have experienced failure,

worked on their limitations, and then made a comeback - over those who have not

experienced failure at all. So very simply, if you think they’ll give up after one failure, they’re

not yet ready.’

‘Isn’t that a little harsh bhaiyya?’ asked Rinku.

‘Not really,’ said Rakesh. ‘It’s the right thing to do for their own sake. It’s how you develop

them. If they are really good, they will shine through. You cannot keep good talent and good

attitude down. If they give up after one failure, it only means they need to learn some

more.’

‘Wow,’ said Rinku. ‘Never thought of it like that. Thanks bhaiyya. No room for misplaced

sympathy in people development. Tough love and empathy is the way to go.’

Pro Tip: Judge people by their deeds and not their words. Don’t label them on their present

actions and write them off for life because they might turnaround and improve with correct

feedback. Promote those who have been consistent – but don’t promote marginal cases for

fear of losing them. If they’re good they will learn and shine through eventually.