You cannot manage your peers
4 hours ago
- You cannot manage a peer; you have no authority over them, so replace 'manage' with influence, structure, and self-protection.
- Diagnose the type of underperformance: can't (skill gap), won't (checked out), blocked (dependencies), or drift (leadership vacuum).
- Drift is the most common in leaderless teams; the absence of structure is the problem, not the person.
- Supply missing structure locally by proposing shared ownership, visible commitments, and deadlines, not by decreeing them.
- Make work visible through simple shared records; legibility applies pressure and protects conscientious workers.
- Have direct but sideways conversations: focus on specific impact, not character, and offer a path forward.
- Protect yourself by decoupling critical paths from underperformers and keeping a neutral record of dependencies.
- The real limit: you cannot permanently substitute for missing management; if structure doesn't fix it, ask whether to stay or go.
- A practical tactic: volunteer to be secretary in meetings to record conclusions and action items, forcing accountability (though AI may change this).