Who’s got the monkey? 🐒 #executive #careeradvice #careertok #career #corporate #corporatelife #corporatetiktok

Who's got the monkey? This is one of the best frameworks in the world for leaders and managers. It's from one of the most popular HBR articles of all time. Here's the gist. A monkey refers to the burden of any particular issue. Basically, the idea is that people go to their boss with a monkey on their back only to leave with the monkey hopping onto the boss's back. For example, a manager bumps into a VP and says, "So glad I caught you." There's an issue with customer XYZ. What do you think we should do? If the VP says, "I'm in a rush, but let me get back to you," the monkey has hopped from the manager's back onto the VP's back. The next step is with the VP. Instead, the VP could have said, "I'm in a rush, but send me an email with a recommendation." In that example, the monkey remains on the subordinate's back. As an exec, you have to be firm and clear. When anyone tries to pawn a monkey off on you, you've got to say, "At no time while I'm helping you, will your problem become my problem?" The instant your problem becomes mine, you no longer have a problem. I cannot help a person who hasn't got a problem. You may ask for my help, and we'll make a joint decision of what the next move will be, but I will not make any move alone. That's how it's done. For more leadership hacks, download my guide HowToBVP from the link in my bio. It's packed with 100+ tools and frameworks for senior leaders, perfect for aspiring VP's, new VP's, and pros alike. Again, the link for HowToBVP is in my bio. Accelerate your career today.