When people tell you about themselves, listen!
My wife said that to me years ago as I was dealing with a toxic employee in our organization. He had been firing warning shots almost daily that showed his true character, yet in my own pride I thought through coaching and managing him, I could change him! Notice I didn’t say “leading him”? I say managing because those that are not of high moral character, or lack in sharing the values of the organization, simply cannot be led. They can only be managed. And if you have ever dealt with a person like this then you know, managing people is incredibly exhausting. We are called to MANAGE things and LEAD people. If you find yourself managing people, chances are either you need growth in your leadership, or those under your charge need some major sharpening! Okay, back to the topic!
Wikipedia defines “Warning Shot” as an intentionally harmless artillery shot or gunshot with intent to enact direct compliance and order to a hostile perpetrator or enemy forces. It is recognized as signaling intended confrontations on land, sea, and air. As an analogy, “warning shot” can be said of any last warning before hostile measures come.
There are warning shots fired at us all the time. And if we don’t take them seriously, eventually they will strike. Back in the pilgrim days, a shot was fired as a warning. When a boat came within range, Pilgrims ordered a warning shot to be fired!
These warning shots can go deeper than just in our organizations with toxic employees / managers / leaders. This same pattern can run in our relationships and spiritual lives as well. That is why in the church we talk about having guardrails in our lives to keep us from going over the edge. For the purpose of this blog teaching, we will refer to “guardrails” as some form of bulletproof protection!
These warnings are being shot at us daily. But sometimes they are not loud like gunfire. And the more silent they are, the worser the consequences they can have. Because we don’t even realize it… Almost like a sniper shot! — Here are a few signs to look for!
Relationship Warning Shots
1. People who disrespect your boundaries
2. People that ALWAYS seem to need something from you yet don’t give anything to the relationship
3. People that don’t take accountability, even though they ask you for help and advice
4. People that make you feel guilty for spending time with other people
5. People that dismiss your values. People that use their struggles as a weapon or manipulative way to get something
Employee Warning Shots
1. Employees that don’t accept responsibility for their actions
2. Employees that gossip about other employees
3. Employees that sabotage other employees
4. Employees that watch or cheat the clock
5. Employees that are unprofessional in their demeanor
6. Employees that are constant troublemakers
Many times, we are worried about confronting people because we are afraid of losing them. It’s easier in the short-term to just tolerate the issues. But the best organizations and relationships create a culture that dares to confront whenever needed. There is a good chance that if you are deep in the weeds everyday, and bogged down by constant pressure, you are at complete risk of missing the warning shots going off around you.
I’ll land the plane with this. Take some time every single day to be alone where you can meditate and process those in your life and organization to look for the signs of wrong doing. In your organization, be sure to carve time out of your day-to-day schedule where you can view things from an altitude, even if it is just for 15-30 minutes a day. I refer to this as “leading by walking around”. There are usually only a few warning shots before the final shots are taken! So take action before it is too late to protect yourself and your Team.
Trust me, you’ll be thankful you took action early.